Integrity, Accountability and Transparency in Humanitarian Operations Online Course

This course will examine the values, principles, and ethical standards that humanitarian  personnel must follow when engaged in humanitarian work. Adherence to these values,  principles, and standards is critical in developing and maintaining beneficiary confidence, in  promoting a strong public image, in cultivating an effective workforce, and in nurturing  accountability and transparency. At the end of this course, students will have a better  understanding of the meaning of ethics in the context of humanitarian work; the standards of  conduct applicable to humanitarian personnel; how to systematically approach ethical problem  situations; key ethical and corruption risks pertaining to the humanitarian sector; how to report  and deal with ethical breaches, including sexual and other interpersonal misconduct; and how to  make ethical decisions and where to seek help. 

This course will be taught by Professor Lex Takkenberg. A Dutch National, Lex Takkenberg has worked in various field and headquarters positions with UNRWA since 1989 and was until recently based in Amman where he occupied the post of Chief, Ethics Office at UNRWA Headquarters. Before joining UNRWA, he was the Legal Officer of the Dutch Refugee Council for six years. A law graduate from the University of Amsterdam, he obtained a Doctorate in International Law from the University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands, after having successfully defended his doctoral dissertation entitled The Status of Palestinian Refugees in International Law. Oxford University Press (OUP) published a commercial edition of the dissertation in 1998; an integral Arabic translation was published by the Institute for Palestine Studies in 2003. A new version of the book – co-authored with Francesca Albanese, was published, also with OUP, in 2020.

Sample course topics outline:

Week 1:         

 Introduction to Organizational Ethics

Week 2: 

Humanitarian Principles

Week 3: 

 Ethical LeadershipWeek 4: 

 Accountability Mechanisms

Week 5: 

 Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)

Week 6: 

 Confidentiality and Transparency

Week 7: 

 Conflicts of Interest

Week 8:

 Fraud and Corruption

Week 9:

 Ethical Risk Assessment

Week 10:

 Corruption Risks Pertaining to Support Functions

Week 11:

 Corruption Risks Pertaining to the Program Cycle

Week 12:

 Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (Beneficiaries)

Week 13:

 Sexual Harassment (Co- workers)

Week 14:

 Other Interpersonal Misconduct

Week 15:

 Nurturing an Ethical Culture

Course Cost: $915

Upon fulfilling the course requirements described in the syllabus, students will receive a Certificate of Completion from Fordham University. 

Registration Deadline: August 1, 2021