These are the standards every person in this network has agreed to, from UNFPA to community facilitators. We are publishing them here so that communities, participants, and partners know what to expect from us, and know how to report us if we fall short. The same standard applies at every level. No exceptions.
Zero tolerance applies to everyone, including us. If we fall short, we expect to be reported. If our partners fall short, they will be reported. If anyone in this network harms a community member, that person has the right to say so and to be heard. The safety of affected persons takes priority over the reputation of any organization.
Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) is a specific category of misconduct defined in UN Secretary-General's Bulletin ST/SGB/2003/13 and treated as grounds for immediate disciplinary action, including dismissal. The definitions below are the official UN definitions and apply across all UNFPA-funded programs, including this one.
Note: UNFPA's current full terminology is PSEAH: Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment, which also covers sexual harassment in the workplace. This page uses PSEA as the shortform.
Any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. (ST/SGB/2003/13, Section 1)
The actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. (ST/SGB/2003/13, Section 1)
The bulletin also establishes several specific prohibitions relevant to everyone working in this program:
UNFPA requires PSEA across all its programs because the communities these programs reach are often in vulnerable situations. A gender-based violence prevention program that tolerated exploitation or abuse within its own structure would be indefensible. These standards exist to make sure the program itself does no harm.
These standards apply to everyone in the network: UNFPA, implementing partners, sub-implementing partners, and individual staff and volunteers. Funding the program, coordinating it, or working in it without pay does not create an exemption. Each level has agreed to the same standard.
UNFPA holds itself to these standards first. It has its own PSEA focal point and internal reporting process, and can be reported to for any allegation, including allegations against UNFPA itself. Funding this program does not place UNFPA above it.
Organizations with a direct partnership agreement with UNFPA (including the Melanesian Institute) have committed in writing to PSEA standards as a condition of that agreement. This means a written policy, a designated focal point, a complaints mechanism, and training for all staff.
Church bodies, community organizations, and others who work through implementing partners are bound by the same standards. Implementing partners are responsible for ensuring their sub-partners understand and comply, and for making clear to the communities they work in that everyone involved has agreed to these rules.
Every individual in this program (paid or unpaid, coordinator or facilitator) is held to the same standard. Community members and program participants have the right to report any person in this network, and to expect that report to be taken seriously.
Have a PSEA policy in place: a written commitment to zero tolerance that staff can read and reference.
Designate a PSEA focal point: a named person responsible for receiving concerns and ensuring they are handled correctly.
Train staff and volunteers: everyone involved in the program should know what SEA is, that it is prohibited, and how to report it.
Provide safe and accessible reporting: community members and program participants must be able to raise concerns without fear of retaliation. A formal non-retaliation policy must be in place and communicated to staff.
Support affected persons: partners must be able to refer anyone who raises a complaint to appropriate support services. A victim-centered approach means the safety, dignity, and wishes of the affected person guide the response.
Refer all complaints to UNFPA: any allegation involving a program participant or beneficiary must be reported to UNFPA PNG, regardless of how it is handled internally.
Cooperate fully in any investigation: partner organizations must cooperate with any investigation initiated by UNFPA or another UN entity. Failure to do so is grounds for termination of the partnership agreement.
Use these materials to brief your staff, train your volunteers, and raise awareness in the communities you work with. The brochure is designed for community distribution. The information reels can be shown at training sessions or community meetings. The official UNFPA and UN policy documents are linked at the bottom for partners who need to reference them directly.
If you have witnessed or experienced exploitation or abuse by anyone connected to this program (a coordinator, a facilitator, a partner organization, or anyone else), you have the right to report it. That includes reporting UNFPA, the Melanesian Institute, or any other named partner in this network. No one is exempt.
Reports can be made to your organization's PSEA focal point, directly to UNFPA Papua New Guinea, or through the contact form on this site. All reports are treated with confidentiality. The safety and dignity of the person raising the concern is the first priority, not the reputation of the organization being reported.
If you are a community member, a program participant, or a family member of someone in the program, you are welcome to use this page to raise a concern. You do not need to be a staff member or partner to report.
Use this form to report a concern, ask about PSEA obligations, or find out how to use these resources with your team. If you are reporting an incident, mark your message clearly, it will be handled with confidentiality.
