Independent panel review of the UNICEF response to protection from sexual exploitation and abuse

Following mounting concerns over the UN’s handling of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, the incoming Executive Director of UNICEF requested the Evaluation Office to establish an Independent Panel of Experts in late May 2018 to undertake a Review of UNICEF’s approach to Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). The Independent Panel built on research work undertaken by an earlier team of consultants between March and May 2018.

This independent review on PSEA needs to be put in the context of two parallel, relevant reviews that were commissioned during this period: (1) a review by a law firm of how UNICEF has investigated sexual harassment in the last five years was launched in February 2018 and completed its work by August 2018; (2) an Independent Task Force on Workplace Gender Discrimination and Harassment at UNICEF launched in June 2018 and is due to complete its work by February 2019.

This report reflects the view of an independent expert panel formed following key interviews, field visits and document review. It is not an evaluation. At the core of the review is the need to assess what UNICEF has put in place for PSEA and to what extent this is known, applied and funded, and to ask how could UNICEF improve on this to ensure that what is in place is applied or to improve what is in place if it is not up to standard?