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Preventing and dealing with sexual harassment at the Federal Foreign Office

prevention of sexual harassment

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In line with the Recommendation of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Ending Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment in Development and Humanitarian Assistance (OECD/LEGAL/5020), the Federal Foreign Office, as a key stakeholder in humanitarian assistance, is strongly committed to tackling sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

This also includes taking steps to prevent sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment from happening in connection with personnel or projects of the Federal Foreign Office as well as responding without delay should they occur.

If you become aware of or are a victim of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse or sexual harassment in connection with Federal Foreign Office staff or programmes, please contact the Federal Foreign Office complaints office via the contact form below.

According to section 3 (4) of the General Act on Equal Treatment, sexual harassment is an unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, including unwanted sexual acts and requests to carry out sexual acts, physical contact of a sexual nature, comments of a sexual nature, as well as the unwanted showing or public exhibition of pornographic images, takes place with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of the person concerned, in particular where it creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.

The complaints office is obliged to investigate each and every complaint and to inform the person concerned of the outcome of the investigation.

The complaints office also assesses whether it is appropriate to refer complaints to the public prosecution office.

If you are unsure whether you should report a problem, please contact us via the email address above for advice.

Your complaints office for preventing and dealing with sexual harassment

Contact us by using the form below

Contact form

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