74 Trial Monitoring: A Reference Manual for Practitioners in a tense court environment. These experiences might create secondary trauma for monitors exposed to them. War crimes, domestic violence, trafficking in human beings, rape and other violent crimes are priority cases for trial-monitoring programmes, but they can also be a source of stress for those directly observing them. Sometimes, trial monitors may not realize or may deny symptoms of secondary trauma. Programme managers should alert staff about such stress and establish referral mechanisms that can provide psychological support and advice to staff who need it. Some OSCE programmes have examined this issue more closely. For instance, the programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina organized seminars for its trial-monitoring personnel, conducted by local and international psychologists. These confirmed that stress affects monitors in different ways. While many monitors develop mechanisms to cope with stress on their own, others appreciate being able to talk to peers, supervisors or a psychologist. Legal analysts followed up on the meeting by reviewing ways to provide support, including providing a forum for monitors to debrief among themselves. A number of organizations involved in human rights and humanitarian assistance, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross or the ICTY, have specialized personnel to assist their staff to deal with the impact of stressful situations. 8.5.7 Structures for ensuring trial monitors’ security The security of monitors is an issue of concern for many programmes, especially those operating in post-conflict or other unstable contexts. Programme implementation rightly comes down on the side of safety when balancing the security of monitors against the collection of information. Monitors should be mindful not only about their own safety, but also about the safety and well-being of their support staff, such as interpreters. Experience indicates that national monitors are aware of risks involved in sensitive cases, such as organized crime proceedings, and are generally confident and willing to carry out monitoring, especially when they know that they are supported by an organization that trusts their assessment and is willing to protect them as needed. Overall, events triggering a programme’s protection mechanisms have been rare in the OSCE. OSCE programmes have developed certain practices to minimize risk. These include informing candidates for monitoring positions that they may be required to observe and report on sensitive cases, to make them aware in advance of possible risks, and to gauge their disposition toward such circumstances. Many programmes, such as those run by the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, issue ID cards to monitors as a means of enhancing their security. Another important step is informing authorities and parties to proceedings in advance about the non-interventionist role of monitors; this can minimize misunderstandings or expectations that monitors can influence the outcome of proceedings. If monitors do develop any concern for their security, programme rules should require them to discontinue the activities in question and immediately advise their supervisors. Supervisors may then take appropriate action, including assigning another monitor to the case, pairing the monitor with a legal analyst, or taking other precautions based on an assessment of the threat. An example of this approach is provided below, drawn from the programme in Moldova. Example of guidelines concerning security of monitors “It is essential that monitors take no action which might put their own safety and security at risk in any way. In this regard, monitors should: • Discontinue monitoring and immediately leave the court if they feel intimidated, at any point for any reason, or if any threat is made against them and inform the National Co-ordinator …. • Report all security-related incidents to the National Co-ordinator immediately, even those that may appear to be minor.”104 104 104  See “Security of the Observer” Annex I. B, “Sample guidelines for Trial Monitors” prepared for the OSCE Mission to Moldova’s Trial Monitoring Programme.