IASC Review of Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by UN, NGO, IOM and IFRC Personnel: Summary Report of Country Case Studies

Any sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA)1 committed by UN and NGO workers is a fundamental violation of protection principles and of the reason that these individuals are in the field alongside vulnerable people. While any misconduct or abuse of power is the responsibility of the individual, the deploying agency also has a responsibility to ensure that effective mechanisms are in place to prevent and address misconduct on the part of its personnel.
The 2002 report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Save the Children UK on the prevalence of SEA of beneficiaries by humanitarian aid workers and peacekeeping military personnel in West Africa highlighted the need for enhanced action by agencies.2 The report, which documented allegations against 40 agencies and 67 individuals, attracted global media coverage to the issue of SEA and prompted both the UN and NGOs to step up their activities to embed policies, guidelines, standards and tools designed to prevent and respond to cases of SEA involving their own and related personnel.