Original document : https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safeguarding-against-sexual-exploitation-and-abuse-and-sexual-harassment-seah-in-the-aid-sector

Change description : 2025-04-24 10:02:00: Guidance has been fully reviewed and updated. [Foreign, Commonwealth & Development OfficeGuidance and regulation]

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Guidance

Safeguarding andagainst protection from sexual exploitation and abuse and harassment (SEAH) in the aid sector

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) guidance on preventing and responding to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment in the international aid sector.

From:
Department for International Development and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
17 October 2019
Last updated
241 AprilFebruary 20252024 — See all updates

Background

Safeguarding means avoiding harm to people or the environment. Since early 2018, the FCDO has hadbeen afocused focus on safeguarding against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEAH) in the international aid sector.

Our goal is to ensure all those involved in workpoverty thatreduction we support take all reasonable steps to:

  • to prevent harm, particularly SEAH, from occurring
    • occurring:

    • listen to those who are at risk and affected
    • respond sensitively but robustly when harm or allegations of harm occur
    • learn from every casecase.

    The FCDO’s work on SEAH looks at both the FCDO and the partners we fund with Official Development Assistance (ODA) and other funding to deliver development,development humanitarian and peace-relatedhumanitarian programmes around the world, often with vulnerable people.

    In September 2020 the FCDO launched a UK Strategy on safeguarding against sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment in the aid sector that applies to all UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend.

    This strategy explains what UK government departments that engage in ODA will do to improve safeguarding standards internally, in partner organisations, and across the whole international aid sector. All UK government ODA spending departments signed up to the strategy.

    This page provides an overview of the FCDO’s work and points to guidance for those working in the aid sector on how to safeguard their people and programmes.

    CommonAt definitionsthe for the individual elements of SEAHFCDO canwe beuse found in the JuneUN 2024definitions Commonfor Approach to Protection from SEAH (CAPSEAH)::

    • sexual exploitation: any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential powerpower, or trust for sexualfor purposes,sexual including,purposes. butIncludes not limited to, profiting monetarily,momentarily, sociallysocially, or politically from the sexual exploitation of anotheranother. Under UN regulations it includes transactional sex, solicitation of transactional sex and exploitative relationships

    • sexual abuse: the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequalunder unequal or coercive conditions.​conditions. ThisIt includesshould cover sexual assault,assault (attempted rape, molestation,kissing and/ othertouching, formsforcing ofsomeone non-consensualto perform oral sex / touching) as well as rape. Under UN regulations, all sexual activity with someone under the age of 18 is considered to be sexual abuse

    • sexual harassment: a rangecontinuum of unacceptable and unwelcome behaviours and practices of a sexual nature that may include, but are not limited to, sexual suggestions or demands, requests for ‘sexualsexual favours’,favours and sexual, verbal or physical conduct,conduct or gesturesgestures, that are or might reasonably be perceived as offensive or humiliating.humiliating

    Sources:

FCDO safeguarding standards

The FCDO expects all partners we work with to take all reasonable steps to safeguard the people they come into contact with (including staff and the communities in which programmes are delivered) from SEAH. The FCDO holds itselfourselves to at least the same high standards we expect of our partners.

Along with other OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) donors, we alignadhere withto key2 internationalsets principlesof andinternational minimum standards on tackling SEAH, including::

CAPSEAH is built on and fully aligned with these principles and standards.

For partners working under an FCDO accountable grant or memorandum of understanding (MoU), these standards are reflected in our Safeguarding against SEAH Due Diligence guidance. All FCDO partners delivering a programme via an accountable grant or MoU will have their capability on safeguarding against sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) examined as part of the overall FCDO Due Diligence process. In early 2025 the FCDO introduced a simplified application process in some circumstances.

For partners under Officiala Developmentcontract, Assistance (ODA) contracts, the standards are reflected in our Supply Partner Code of Conduct and terms and conditions (PDF, 350 KB). The Supply Partner Code ensuresof Conduct has also applied to partners with whom the FCDO has had an accountable grant from late 2019.

Summary of the 6 areas of SEAH due diligence

SEAH approach:

  • policy
  • standards
  • children and vulnerable adults
  • beneficiary engagement
  • survivor support

Complaints and whistleblowing:

  • policy
  • training
  • internal complaints
  • external complaints
  • case register

Recruitment and training:

  • job descriptions and risk
  • selection and interview
  • references and vetting
  • induction and refresher training

Risk management:

  • SEAH risk category
  • regular review
  • fundraising
  • online risks
  • downstream partners

Code of conduct:

  • code of conduct
  • Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) six core principles
  • staff signature

Governance and accountability:

  • designated board safeguarding lead
  • board handling of SEAH
  • local focal points
  • requirements of others

The principles that suppliersFCDO is committed to applying in relation to safeguarding against SEAH and that we expect our partners to apply in their work and through their delivery chainchains partnersare:

  • everyone has responsibility for safeguarding
  • do no harm
  • organisations have robusta proceduressafeguarding induty placeof care to prevent,beneficiaries reportand other stakeholders, staff and respondvolunteers, as well as to children and adults-at-risk who may be directly or indirectly delivering or impacted by the programme and may be vulnerable to abuse
  • act with integrity, be transparent and accountable
  • all activity is done in the best interests of the child/at risk person in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Children Act 1989, FCDO defines a child as any individual under the age of 18 regardless of the age of majority/consent in a given country
  • all children and adults shall be treated equally, irrespective of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC); religion/or none; race; ethnicity; disability; or any other protected characteristic as listed in the Equality Act (2010)
  • organisations that work with children and adults at risk should apply a safeguarding issues.

    lens to their promotional communications and fundraising activities

How to report a safeguarding concern to the FCDO

If you are in immediate danger, call the police orif yoursafe relevantto securitydo teamso ifor it’syour saferelevant tosecurity do so.team.

You should report any concerns about sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) relating to FCDO staff or programmes to the FCDO’s Safeguarding Investigations Team:

If you are unsure whether to report a concern, contact us for advice.

You can report concerns anonymously and the FCDO will treat them in confidence. We will consider whether we should refer your concern to the National Crime Agency (NCA), Charity Commission, police or other relevant authority.

The FCDO expects its programme partners to have mechanisms in place to prevent SEAH, to facilitate reporting and also to respond sensitively but robustly when cases are reported.

The FCDO’s commitments and work on safeguarding

The FCDO is holding itself to at least the same high standards we expect of our partners on safeguarding against SEAH.

2024 Common Approach to Protection from SEAH (CAPSEAH)

CAPSEAH is a short guide launched in June 2024 to help all people and organisations working in ​​​​humanitarian, development and peace (HDP) settings take action to tackle SEAH.

CAPSEAH provides:

CAPSEAH is voluntary and non-binding, but governments and organisations are encouraged to signal their support and commitment to tackling SEAH by endorsing using the form on the website. Countries and organisations do not have to publicly endorse CAPSEAH to use it. A full list of endorsers is available online. It includes the UK.

2020 UK SEAH Safeguarding Strategy

In September 2020 the FCDO launched a UK Strategy on safeguarding against sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment in the aid sector that applies to all UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend. This strategy explains what UK government departments that engage in ODA will do to improve safeguarding standards internally, in partner organisations, and across the whole international aid sector. All UK government ODA spending departments signed up to the strategy.

2019 DAC Recommendation on Ending Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Assistance

In July 2019, The Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Recommendation on Ending Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Assistance was adopted. It provides a coherent framework for aid agencies and their implementing partners to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) and respond better if it does occur. A 5-year progress report was published in 2024.

Donor commitments from the 2018 Safeguarding Summit

Twenty-two donors, including all UK government departments who spend Official Development Assistance, signed up to commitments at the 18 October 2018 Safeguarding Summit. Donors agreed to report back on progress.

Cross-sector progress reportsreport

The FCDO has also worked with the other 8 key groups who made commitments at the 18 October 2018 Safeguarding Summit donors. This includes the UN, international financial institutions (IFIs), UK non-governmental organisations (NGOs), UK private sector, UK research funders, British International Investment (BII) and Gavi and the Global Fund, and the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement who made related commitments in 2019 – to work on sector change.

The FCDO continues to chair the Safeguarding Cross Sector Steering Group (CSSG). TheRead CSSG produced annual reports against the 2018 Summit commitments for 5 years and from 2025 onwards plans to issue a light-touch report of its activities:reports:

FCDO progress reportsreport

The FCDO has published reports with further detail on the action that has been taken within the department to take forward the commitments made at the 2018 Safeguarding Summit and from 2024 onwards against the framework of CAPSEAH:Summit:

DAC Recommendation on Ending Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Assistance

FCDOIn July 2019, The Development Assistance Committee (DAC reports) Recommendation on Ending Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Assistance was adopted. It provides a coherent framework for aid agencies and their implementing partners to Parliamentprevent annually,sexual includingexploitation onand safeguarding.abuse Youand cansexual readharassment the(SEAH) annualand reports:respond better if it does occur.

the DAC peer review mechanism.

Third party scrutiny of FCDO’s work on tackling SEAH in the aid sector

The UK Parliament’s International Development Committee (IDC) published a report following their 2018 inquiry into SEA in the aid sector and a subsequent follow-up report in Oct 2019. A third IDC inquiry into ‘SEA in the aid sector – next steps’ concluded in January 2021 and the UK government’s response was published by the IDC in April 2021. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) conducted a review in 2021 to 2022.

FCDO annual report

Updates

FCDO reports to thisParliament pageannually, including on safeguarding. You can read the latest annual reports from July 2023 and July 2022.

G7 declarations

The UK was part of the 2018 G7 Whistler Declaration on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse in international assistance. During the 2021 UK Presidency G7 countries reaffirmed their commitment to tackling SEAH. The UK was part of a further reaffirmation in the May 2023 Hiroshima Leaders’ Communique during the Japanese Presidency.

FCDO safeguarding news

Published 17 October 2019
Last updated 1 February 2024 + show all updates

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Contents

Update history

2025-04-24 10:02
Guidance has been fully reviewed and updated.

2024-02-01 12:17
Guidance reviewed and updated, including with new links to the 2022 to 2023 cross-sector and FCDO progress reports.

2023-05-04 16:22
Guidance reviewed and updated.

2022-12-09 17:06
Updated with links to 2021 to 2022 cross-sector and FCDO progress reports

2022-03-10 11:16
14 January 2022: January 2020 document ‘Enhanced Due Diligence: Safeguarding for external partners’ has been reviewed, updated and renamed ‘Safeguarding against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEAH) Due Diligence Guidance for FCDO implementing partners’