i) Stronger adherence to international standards and best practice

Transcription

1 DFID International Summit to tackle sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment in the aid sector Draft NGO Commitments We are committed to collaborating with all partners to combat poverty and inequality in all its forms across the world and welcome the UK s continued leadership in promoting international development. We recognise our responsibility to uphold the principles of the best development and humanitarian practice in line with our missions and values. We acknowledge that the NGO sector has fallen short in its approach to keeping people safe and we are committed to a sector-wide transformation. This change will be rooted in respecting the rights of all those involved in aid and development cooperation: the people we aim to help, our partners, our staff, volunteers and trustees. We will do this at the level of individual organisations within our diverse civil society and through holistic sector-wide solutions that deliver systemic change. This will not be a quick fix: while we identify some practical short-term actions below, we also commit to pursuing changes in our working and organisational culture over the long term. We will overcome the power imbalances and structural inequalities that give rise to sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment and bullying. i) Stronger adherence to international standards and best practice 1. We will meet recognised international safeguarding standards and continue to strengthen our expertise and good practice. Adopt and adhere to recognised safeguarding standards as relevant, such as Keeping Children Safe, the Core Humanitarian Standard or IASC Core Principles Relating to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse 1. Build on established good practice (including from the UK charity sector), ensuring resources, templates and policy documents are widely shared across organisations of all sizes pg. 1

2 2. We will implement unparalleled levels of transparency, working to create and share solutions and expertise so the whole sector can learn and do better. Disclose all safeguarding concerns and incidents to the appropriate regulatory bodies 3. Establish an online community of practice on safeguarding 4. Set up a buddying/mentoring scheme for the NGO sector 5. Build an evolving set of case studies to help sector-wide learning, including from positive and negative experiences 6. Come together as a sector at events and workshops to share learning and expertise We will work with government, donors, businesses, global civil society networks and other development and humanitarian actors to advance consistent and high-quality safeguarding practice worldwide. Support the development of a Safeguarding Centre of Excellence 8. Collaborate with peer civil society networks and platforms globally to share learning and harmonise our approaches 9. Test and provide feedback on DFID products, for example, due diligence requirements or Code of Conduct for accountable grants and contracts 10. ii) Enhanced accountability, including making it easier to report concerns and to prosecute perpetrators 4. We will respect the voice, agency and choices of the people our work serves, and support the universal right to be protected from harm. Publish a set of principles on designing and running accountable feedback and act in accordance with these 11. Codify and communicate good practice around gender-transformative accountability approaches Assurances provided. going forward 4 Bond to establish by October Summit 5 Bond to set up by October Summit 6. Bond to coordinate 7 Several events held. going forward 8 9 Initial webinars through Forus, Civicus and Concord by October Summit Principles published through Bond Feedback Accountability and Learning Group 12 pg. 2

3 Pilot how community feedback can be utilised at different stages of decisionmaking and share findings We will take a shared approach to employment practice and vetting, minimising the opportunities for perpetrators to access our sector. Implement a unified and consistent approach to referencing across the sector, providing guidance on what recruiting organisations should ask for and what referees should disclose 14. Collaborate with the Home Office and other government departments on the development of a wider definition of regulated activity by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and provide clarity on how DBS checks could be used in the sector We will test and scale innovative technology solutions to strengthen safeguarding practice. Explore how passporting or aid worker registers could be developed for the sector, using Blockchain or other innovative technologies 16. iii) Strengthened safeguarding capacity and capability, including better support for victims / survivors 7. We will ensure victims / survivors of safeguarding breaches are at the heart of all our actions and will be relentless in calling out wrong-doing. Contribute to the ongoing development of joint support services in country for survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse DEC pilot in Bangladesh completed by October Summit coordinated through NGO working groups 16. Includes blockchain pilots (START network) and HPass (HLA). 17, including more information through Oxfam pg. 3

4 8. We will create delivery chains, where in-country partners are genuinely equal, local knowledge and expertise is respected, and there is shared responsibility for high quality programme delivery and keeping people safe. Build improved understanding of the dynamics surrounding gender, diversity and unequal power relations (exact wording tbc) 18. Support partner-led initiatives to strengthen safeguarding practice We will improve safeguarding capabilities by building awareness, expertise and skills of our staff, volunteers and trustees. Provide training on good safeguarding practice and support continuing professional development 20. Develop a consortium of partners and secure resources for a universal, accredited, self-guided online pathway and a facilitated Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on safeguarding 21. iv) Incentivising cultural change, stronger leadership and better HR processes 10. We will take a zero-tolerance approach to protecting the dignity and safety of the people we work with in our day-to-day work. Develop and implement revised guidance on good practice in reporting and complaints mechanisms 22. Review and update our safeguarding policies in line with good practice 23. Investigate any complaints promptly and thoroughly, establishing a consistent sector-wide approach to escalating and reporting any incidents that arise Details to follow 19 Examples to follow. Could include Good Financial Grant Practice initiative. 20 Training programme in progress. going forward 21 Initial consortium meetings held pg. 4

5 11. We will uphold high standards of moral leadership, so that our boards and senior leaders drive behaviours and attitudes to nurture a strong safeguarding culture. Commit our leaders and organisations to a shared and understood standard, against which they can be held to account 25. Develop and use a diagnostic tool to assess our organisational culture against indicators of an effective safeguarding culture 26. Develop and act in accordance with good practice guidance on governance to improve and standardise practice across the sector We will monitor our progress and publicly demonstrate our ongoing commitment to transforming safeguarding practice in our sector. Standardise sector practice on reporting safeguarding results to the Charity Commission and the public by implementing revised guidance on Annual Reports 28. Analyse the investment and resources that Bond members put into safeguarding through an annual survey Leadership charter (name TBC) to be produced through NGO working groups by October Summit 26 Health-check tool to be produced through NGO working groups by October Summit and piloted over Annual survey by Bond pg. 5