Countries or areas rated at EXTREME RISK may be in a state of war, failed states or states in which the government has lost control of significant portions of the country. Government control and law and order may be minimal or non-existent. There is a serious threat of violent targeted attacks against travelers and expatriates by terrorists, insurgents, sectarian, criminal or other extremist groups. Government and transport services are typically severely degraded or non-existent. Foreigners are likely to have no access to significant parts of the country. Armed escort and stringent preventive security precautions are essential and may not be sufficient to prevent serious injury, kidnap or loss of life.

Countries or areas rated at HIGH RISK have regular periods of political instability and associated problems of poor governance, including high levels of corruption and failed or failing institutions. Protests are frequently violent and may target or disrupt foreigners. There may be a high level of incidental risk to travelers and expatriates from terrorism or insurgency. Communal, sectarian or racial violence is common and foreigners may be directly targeted. Violent crime rates are typically high and scams targeting foreigners are common and often have police complicity. Infrastructure and internal security and emergency services are poor and there may be regular abuses of due legal process. Certain parts of the country are inaccessible or off-limits to the traveler. There is a persistent risk to the traveler and expatriate and employment of security precautions is required to ensure personal protection.

TAS Monitor destinations require prior approval by the traveler’s business manager. NBCUniversal Corporate Security will receive notification of the trip and track it from the NBCUniversal Global Watch Center. The reason for this is that NBCUniversal Corporate Security may need to know who is traveling and what their travel plans are in order to provide guidance, briefings and emergency response plans for such events as civil unrest, or environmental or natural disasters. The Monitor designation may also be used for lower risk destinations and travel tracking issues that may be unrelated to security e.g. the destination’s transportation system is historically unreliable. TAS Monitor destinations will be designated in International SOS’s website as MEDIUM TRAVEL RISK (see below for additional information).

Countries or areas rated at MEDIUM RISK may experience periodic political unrest, violent protests or insurgency. The country or area is prone to sporadic acts of terrorism and there may be terrorist organizations with significant operational capacities. Travelers and expatriates may face a risk from communal, sectarian or racial violence. Violent crime rates are likely to impact on foreigners as well as the local population. There are infrastructural weaknesses and inadequacies in the security and emergency services. Industrial action is not uncommon and can impact upon the traveler and expatriate. Transport services are likely to be subject to periodic disruption and safety records are inconsistent. Increased vigilance is warranted for travel or expatriation.

Government agencies of certain countries publish information on their websites concerning international airline safety. For example, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assesses the aviation regulatory authority of each country that has carriers operating to the U.S. The FAA determines whether the foreign regulatory authority provides oversight to its carriers in accordance with international safety standards and publishes ratings for each of these regulatory authorities. See www.faa.gov/safety/programs_initiatives/oversight/iasa and www.travel.state.gov/travel.

The European Commission publishes a list of airlines subject to operating bans or restrictions within the European Union based on airline safety concerns. In some instances, the EC has determined that the aviation regulatory authority in a given country is unable to meet relevant safety standards in the performance of its regulatory oversight responsibilities and, on that basis, has banned all airlines certified by the regulatory authority in that country. See http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban. It is not feasible for the Company to maintain an independent safety assessment of airlines, so NBCUniversal travelers are encouraged to check these websites and otherwise inform themselves regarding the safety reputation of airlines proposed for their travel. If for any reason, an employee believes that flying on a particular airline or flight poses a threat to his/her personal health or safety, then he/she should make alternative travel arrangements.

NBCUniversal Approved Hotels are hotels that have been evaluated by NBCUniversal Corporate Security. To ensure the safety of all employees, we recommend that where possible, employees should only stay at NBCUniversal Approved Hotels when traveling. NBCUniversal Approved Hotels should not be confused with NBCUniversal Preferred Hotels: NBCUniversal Preferred Hotels are simply those hotels where NBCUniversal has obtained a reduced rate.

ISOS: NBCUniversal International Travel Security Website: The information contained in this site – and related links – will answer many of your questions related to health and security issues while traveling internationally. Valuable information can be found for over 200 countries around the world and includes emergency contact information for ISOS and the appropriate NBCUniversal Regional Security Director.

U.S. State Department – a comprehensive site for international travelers that includes current travel advisories, alerts and other information to help keep travelers informed of world events.

OSAC – Overseas Advisory Council: – Overseas Advisory Council: NBCU travelers are encouraged to monitor this site daily for the most current information related to global security.

ISOS June 2017 Pamphlet: Download the pamphlet here.