Information Sharing Protocol on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Task Force South Sudan (July 2020)

1. Introduction

Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) inflicts harm on those whom humanitarian workers and personnel are serving to protect. In South Sudan, a dedicated task force was created in 2017 as a UN based platform. The Prevention from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Task Force (the Task Force) expanded its membership from all UN entities to include NGO representatives in 2018, and most recently included ICRC as an observer. The Task Force is co-chaired by two entities on a rotational basis and consists of PSEA Focal Points of member entities. The Task Force functions under the auspices of the Deputy SRSG/Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (DSRSG/RC/HC). The Task Force reports through the UN Country Team (UNCT) and the Humanitarian Team (HCT) and the DSRSG/RC/HC to the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General in South Sudan. The Task Force is guided by a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), signed by all members of the UN Country Team (UNCT) in 2017 and a Terms of Reference (ToR) endorsed by senior leadership in 2018. Taking into account Task Force members’ agency specific rules, the SOP and TOR define the joint roles and responsibilities of PSEA stakeholders and common principles for handling complaints, incident reporting, responses to SEA cases, including referrals for victim assistance and investigations.