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Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) by humanitarian personnel in Jordan - Inter-agency SEA Community-based Complaint Referral Mechanism (CBCRM)

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Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)

Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) violates universally recognized international legal norms and standards and has always been unacceptable behavior and prohibited conduct for humanitarian workers. It brings harm to those whom the UN and humanitarian agencies are mandated to protect, and jeopardizes the reputation of these agencies and their ability to provide protection.

Sexual exploitation and abuse is not a new phenomenon. In 2001, the UNHCR/Save the Children assessment1 highlighted how international and national aid workers, working for Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and United Nations (UN) agencies were perpetrators of gross misconduct in West African refugee camps. The aid workers abused their roles as decision-makers and their positions of trust, to sexually exploit and abuse beneficiary populations. Humanitarian workers traded items, as seemingly insignificant as biscuits, in exchange for sex with women and children.

The shocking findings of the assessment highlighted both the vulnerability of such populations and that humanitarian and development agencies have an obligation to put in place organisational and programmatic systems that protect those we serve, and that we do not inadvertently recruit potential perpetrators. It also highlighted that we need to put in place complaints mechanisms so that alleged cases can be raised and reported; investigated; and, where necessary, referred to the authorities where a crime is suspected.

The findings resulted in the establishment of the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Taskforce on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), which advised the UN on specific measures and adopted six standards of behaviour (core principles) to be included in the UN Secretary General’s Bulletin: Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13) (SGB)2 (Annex I) which is based on the UN’s Code of Conduct and applies to all UN Staff, partners and contractors. As a further expression of intent and will to act, the Statement of Commitment on Eliminating Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by UN and Non-UN Personnel (2006)3 (Annex II), is endorsed by 42 UN agencies and 36 Non-UN entities (as of 2008), binding all signatories to the Core Principles and prevention measures as outlined in the SGB.

Despite efforts to establish systems and mechanisms to facilitate reports, underreporting of sexual exploitation and abuse remains a challenge for the humanitarian community. Several reports researching the issue (i.e. No One To Turn To, 20084; To Complain or Not To Complain, 20105) have concluded that sexual exploitation and abuse by humanitarian personnel is chronically underreported. Several factors explain this including: fear of losing muchneeded material assistance; fear of stigmatization; the threat of retribution or retaliation; the lack of knowledge on how to report an allegation of sexual exploitation and abuse; vulnerable groups feeling powerless to report an abuse; lack of effective legal services to which cases of abuse can be reported; lack of faith in the response that an allegation of sexual abuse would receive; cultural barriers to reporting sexual exploitation and abuse; fear of the consequences of mandatory reporting requirements and lack of maintaining confidentiality.