Attachments
INTRODUCTION
Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) of any form is unacceptable behavior, prohibited and must not be tolerated. These violations of humanity of the populations we serve are among the most egregious failures of accountability committed by aid workers and violate universally recognized international legal norms and standards and have always been unacceptable behavior. SEA reinforces and emboldens the deep-rooted gender and social norms and practices, which have already created so many discriminations. Inequities and unjust treatment to the most vulnerable population what we serve, particularly women, children and the physically challenged.
SEA represents a breach of the fundamental rights of those for whom support, services and protection are provided. SEA brings harm to the concerned populations whom humanitarian, development and peace service providers are responsible for protecting and helping. The act of SEA damages the credibility of any agency that provides services to them. It also jeopardizes the reputation of all service providers and their ability to provide support and protection while undermining the trust that the communities have in aid actors, and the fundamental tenant to “Do No Harm”. SEA is devastating, with damaging consequences for aid recipients as well as for aid providers.
Humanitarian, development, stabilization, peacebuilding and human rights actors operating in Sudan are expected to always maintain the highest international standards of personal and professional conduct as required by an agency’s/service provider’s Code of Conduct (CoC). All organizations should implement and encourage within their own organization the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Six Core Principles Relating to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (2019).
Moreover, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) remains an essential element of the Inter-Agency Steering Committee (IASC) commitment on the Centrality of Protection.2 And, considering the power dimensions inherent in the act of SEA, positioning gender equality and basic human rights principles into all the actions of the Sudan’s PSEA Network is central.