• About this Portal
    • Internal Audit and Investigations Group
    • Ethics Office
    • Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Team
    • Health, Safety, Social and Environmental Team
    • Workplace Conduct Team
    • People Planning and Performance Team
    • Legal Group
    • Ombudsman Office for United Nations Funds and Programmes
    • Navigation, Support and Advocacy Team
    • Well-being Support
    • Personnel and Staff Associations
    • General
    • Internal Audit and Investigation Group
    • Ethics Office
    • Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment
    • Workplace Conduct Team
    • People Planning and Performance Team
    • Legal Group
    • Navigation, Support and Advocacy
    • Well-being Support
  • Resources
    • Report alleged misconduct (except retaliation, harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination)
    • Report alleged retaliation
    • Report health, safety, social or environmental concern
    • Report alleged harassment, discrimination, abuse of authority
    • Performance rebuttal request
    • Management Evaluation Request
    • How to Submit a Case
  • About this Portal
    Read more about the aim of the Portal and our ethical values.
    Internal Audit and Investigations Group
    Investigates allegations of misconduct and undertakes audits.
    Ethics Office
    Nurtures a culture of ethics, integrity, and accountability at UNOPS, and helps protect UNOPS personnel against retaliation.
    Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Team
    Coordinates UNOPS efforts on prevention and protection against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.
    Health, Safety, Social and Environmental Team
    Develops and implements health, safety, social and environmental best practices in UNOPS' projects and operations.
    Workplace Conduct Team
    Handles allegations of harassment, discrimination, and abuse of authority.
    People Planning and Performance Team
    Responsible for managing the performance appraisal rebuttal process.
    Legal Group
    Handles key formal aspects of UNOPS internal justice system.
    Ombudsman Office for United Nations Funds and Programmes
    Offers dedicated informal dispute resolution services to all UNOPS colleagues.
  • Navigation, Support and Advocacy Team
    Helps reporters navigate and understand UNOPS' internal justice and whistleblower systems.
    Well-being Support
    Advocates for mental health through prevention and referrals to crisis or counselling services.
    Personnel and Staff Associations
    Support personnel by advocating for their working conditions.
  • General
    • Where do I report what? (Guidance on which office might be the right one for you to submit a case to.)
    • How do I report a case or concern?
    • How does confidentiality work?
    Internal Audit and Investigation Group
    • What does IAIG do?
    • How does IAIG maintain confidentiality?
    • What are some examples of evidence that I should provide?
    Ethics Office
    • What is the Ethics Office?
    • What does the Ethics Office do?
    • What does the Ethics Office NOT do?
    Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment
    • What is the role of the PSEAH team at UNOPS?
    • What are UNOPS core principles on PSEAH?
    • What is "sexual exploitation and abuse"?
    Workplace Conduct Team
    • What does the Workplace Conduct Team do?
    • What is the difference between Workplace Conduct Team and Internal Grievances?
    • What does the Workplace Conduct Team NOT do?
    People Planning and Performance Team
    • What is a performance review rebuttal process?
    • Who conducts the rebuttal?
    • What are the requirements for requesting a rebuttal?
    Legal Group
    • Can I get legal advice from the Legal Group about an administrative decision that I would like to contest?
    • Can I take my dispute with UNOPS to a national court for resolution?
    • What are my options for resolving a workplace dispute in UNOPS internal justice system?
    Navigation, Support and Advocacy
    • What is “victim/survivor support”?
    • What is a “victim-centered approach”?
    • What kind of support is offered by the Navigation, Support and Advocacy Team?
    Well-being Support
    • What does UNOPS do to promote the well-being of personnel?
    • How can I access mental health services at UNOPS?
    • What is the process for receiving Well-being Support?
  • Resources
  • Report alleged misconduct (except retaliation, harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination)
    Report alleged retaliation
    Report health, safety, social or environmental concern
    Report alleged harassment, discrimination, abuse of authority
    Performance rebuttal request
    Management Evaluation Request
    How to Submit a Case
  • FR
  • ES

The PSEAH team is responsible for the implementation of the UNOPS PSEAH Strategy. it  coordinates prevention activities across the organization related to sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment. These activities include:

  • Establishing and monitoring the PSEAH Strategy and policy framework for UNOPS;
  • Corporate reporting to oversight bodies including the Executive Board and UN Secretariat;
  • Safer recruitment to ensure UNOPS does not rehire perpetrators;
  • Training and awareness to all teams, and role-specific capacity building for focal points and managers;
  • Risk management such as developing and implementing risk mitigation tools in collaboration with other internal stakeholders;
  • Community awareness to ensure affected populations of UNOPS projects are aware of their rights and existing mechanisms to report misconduct;
  • UN and partner inter-agency coordination to ensure we apply a standardized approach to prevention and response. 
  • It is strictly prohibited to have sexual activity with a child. Mistakenly believing that the child is over 18 is no defense. Even if the age of consent is under 18, all UNOPS personnel are forbidden to have sexual activity with anyone under the age of 18.
    UN Standards of Conduct apply to UNOPS personnel, whether at work or off-duty, and wherever they are in the world.
  • It is strictly prohibited to exchange anything for sex/sexual favors. Exchange of money, employment, goods or services for sex, including sexual favours or other forms of humiliating, degrading or exploitative behaviour is prohibited.
    Sex with prostitutes is strictly prohibited even if legal in the country.
  • Sexual relationships between UNOPS personnel and beneficiaries is strongly discouraged. These relationships are based on inherent unequal power dynamics and undermine the credibility and integrity of our work. Beneficiaries of assistance include refugees, migrants and displaced persons.
  • Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) constitutes an act of serious misconduct and is grounds for disciplinary measures including termination.
    Personnel must report concerns regarding SEA by fellow workers.
  • UNOPS personnel, especially managers, are required to create and maintain an environment that prevents SEA.

“Sexual exploitation” means 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. "Sexual abuse" is actual or threatened intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.

Examples of sexual exploitation and abuse can be buying sex from sex workers, having a sexual relationship with a beneficiary, having a relationship with someone below 18 years of age, holding back on aid or work opportunities if the beneficiary does not provide sexual favours.

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favour, verbal or physical conduct or gesture of a sexual nature, or any other behaviour of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation to another, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. While typically involving a pattern of behaviour, it can take the form of a single incident. Sexual harassment may occur between persons of the opposite or same sex. Both males and females can be either the aggrieved individuals or the offenders.

The key difference between "sexual harassment" (SH) and "sexual exploitation and abuse"(SEA) is the victim. In the case of SEA, the victim is a person of concern or a member of the affected community. In the case of SH, the victim is a UNOPS member of personnel (including personnel of hosted entities). In both cases, the perpetrator is a UNOPS member of personnel.

A report should be made to IAIG (investigations@unops.org - link to form). If you don’t wish to report directly to IAIG, you may report to the PSEAH Advisor (juliasc@unops.org) or to a local PSEAH focal point who will report to IAIG on your behalf. You can make an anonymous report, but make sure that we can reach you if we need further information to be able to investigate properly. 

If you are reporting on behalf of the victim, make sure that you maintain a victim-centered approach and safeguard the interests of the victim. Make sure you direct the victim to any support services needed (such as victim support, counselling, or other).

Remember, UNOPS personnel are mandated to report sexual misconduct. If somebody shares a concern with you about possible sexual exploitation, abuse or sexual harassment, you must report this. IAIG will seek consent from the victim to pursue an investigation. 

If you are a UNOPS personnel, you are protected against retaliation for engaging in a protected activity by raising a report (see the section on protection against retaliation here). If you are not a UNOPS personnel but still feel that you are subject to reprisals from the alleged perpetrator (who must be a member of UNOPS personnel), you should speak to the  PSEAH Advisor who will explore possible avenues with you. 

Quick Links

Browse through other sections:
Internal Audit and Investigations Group
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Ethics Office
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Health, Safety, Social and Environmental Team
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Workplace Conduct Team
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People Planning and Performance Team
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Legal Group
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Disclaimer

The summary content provided on this page is issued for informative purposes only and reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication. However, the summary does not amend, replace or override the applicable legal framework set out, inter alia, in the UN Charter, the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, the UN Staff Regulations and Rules, relevant administrative issuances and any specific contracting arrangements in place. UNOPS personnel should therefore not rely upon the summary information provided in the portal, as it is not intended to be an authoritative resource. Instead, they should refer to the aforementioned legal framework and their contract with UNOPS for definitive guidance.

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