HAD Yemen Organization

HAD YEMEN CODE OF CONDUCT

Updated 01/11/2023
Section A.
Mission:
Provide quality humanitarian and development assistance to the needy Populations in the society by using
locally available resources with full participation of the target beneficiaries.
Vision:
To be a leading Humanitarian Organization in changing societies’ living conditions for the better.

ETHICS:
We are committed:
1. To act in a fair, honest and equitable way to ensure gender sensitive in the work place
2. To observe local laws and regulations.
3. To respect local customs and traditions.
4. To uphold generally accepted principles on the protection of human rights and the environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES
We are responsible:
1. Towards our employees, to provide a safe and rewarding working environment.
2. Towards our Country: to use our best knowledge and services to contribute to the progress and development
of our country.
3. Towards local communities, to contribute to local development and higher living standards.
PRINCIPLES
We are guided by:
Attitude towards our projects
We seek to achieve high standards of performance, while being attentive and sensitive to the way our projects
are conducted. We are committed to:
 Promote innovation throughout the projects.
 Be flexible and take measured risks
 Maintain transparency in the way we conduct projects
 Honour our commitments
 Use appropriate and adequate means to protect our staff and activities
 Refrain from accepting / offering improper payments, gifts or engaging in bribery or corrupt Practices
 Seek similar standards from our covertures and sub-contractors

Attitude towards Employees:

Our performance as an entity is dependent upon the performance of our employees as individuals. We therefore
aim to achieve maximum employee satisfaction and ultimate standards of performance. To that end we are
committed to:
 Respect and promote employees’ rights
 Offer rewarding working conditions
 Provide a safe and healthy working environment

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 Realize each employee's individual potential through training and job promotion
 Respect the cultural diversity of our employees
 Ensure equal opportunity without discrimination on the basis of age, culture, disability, gender, race,
Religion, etc.
 Avoid the direct or indirect use of child or forced labour

Attitude towards our right-holders:

Wherever we operate we are committed to:
 Observe local laws and rules
 Respect the sovereignty of the state
 Observe and, through our example, promote the rule of law

Attitude towards Local Communities:

To ensure that communities benefit from our presence, we are committed to:
 Encourage employment of indigenous people
 Engage in capacity building, through the transfer of skills and appropriate technologies
 Work with local communities by contributing to improve their health, education and welfare
 Respect indigenous people and their traditions
 Minimize disturbances that may be caused by our activities
 Refrain from any implications in tribal or internal armed conflicts or acts of violence
Attitude towards the Environment:
We strive to limit adverse impacts on the environment by our activities, thereby contributing to sustainable
development, and are committed to:
 Comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations and international standards
 Adhere to our environmental policy and sound management practices
 Use appropriate technologies
 Cooperate with industry, government and the public on programs to protect the environment
COMPLIANCE:
This Code constitutes the commitment of HAD Organization and its employees to aspire to the highest standards
of conduct. It is an integral part of employment contracts.
Any violation of this Code by anyone within our Organization will be the subject of an inquiry and appropriate
remedial measures.

 We will promote compliance under this code through training and reporting requirements.

 We will assess and report performance under this code on a yearly basis.

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Section B.
HAD Staff Code of Conduct Regarding Abuse of Power and Sexual Exploitation
HAD staff must:
1) Uphold the highest standards of accountability, efficiency, competence, integrity and transparency in the
provision of goods and services in the execution of their job.
2) Respect and promote fundamental human rights without discrimination of any kind and irrespective of
social status, race, ethnicity, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, national origin,
political affiliation or disability.

3) Treat all work colleagues, program beneficiaries and other persons fairly and with respect, courtesy, dignity
and according to the respective Yemeni law, international law and local customs.
4) Never commit any act or form of harassment that could result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or
suffering to individuals, especially women and minors.
5) Never exploit the vulnerability of any colleague or beneficiary group, especially women and minors, or
allow any person/s to be put into compromising situations.
6) Never engage in any sexual activity with minors (persons under the age of 18) regardless of the age of
majority or age of consent locally. Mistaken belief in the age of a child is not a defence.
7) Never engage in sexual exploitation nor abuse of any person, colleague or beneficiary group (men, women
and minors). This constitutes acts of gross misconduct and is therefore grounds for termination of
employment.
8) Never exchange money, employment, goods, or services for sex, including sexual favours. All forms of
humiliating, degrading or exploitative behaviour are prohibited.
9) Particularly in the humanitarian context, never abuse their position to withhold assistance, nor give
preferential treatment in order to solicit sexual favours, gifts, payments or personal gains of any kind. The
employee should be conscious of not taking advantage of his/her position and may not accept gifts (except for
small tokens of appreciation) or bribes.
10) Not engage in sexual relationships with beneficiaries. Such relationships are strongly discouraged since
they are based on inherently unequal power dynamics. Such relationships undermine the credibility and
integrity of humanitarian aid work. (This rule applies to both during and after working hours.)
11) Not accept, solicit or engage in "buying" or profiting from sexual services. This is applicable both within
and outside of working hours.
12) Create and maintain an environment that prevents abuse of power and sexual exploitation, and promotes the
implementation of the code of conduct. Managers at all levels have a responsibility to support and develop
procedures that maintain this environment, particularly related to gender inequities.

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When this Code of Conduct is violated, HAD management will ensures that:
13) Violations of these standards are immediately reported to senior management, any trusted colleague or a
specially designated group, the local human resources manager or the HAD Country Director is expected to
take prompt investigative action.
14) All confidential information, including reports of breaches of these standards by colleagues, obtained from
beneficiaries or colleagues is channelled correctly and handled with utmost confidentiality.
15) Any violation of the Code of Conduct will result in disciplinary action in accordance with the respective
HAD terms, conditions and regulations.
16) Any staff member purposely making false accusations on any action by another staff member, which is in
breach of the code of conduct, will be subject to disciplinary action at the discretion of the employer.

The signatory below has read, understood and is in agreement with the content of this document and
specifically articles 1 to 16 of section B, the Code of Conduct, which shall be subject to periodic revision and
review. The signatory also accepts the consequences of any violation of any of the above provisions under this
Code of Conduct.
Name:...........................................................................................................................................
Position:........................................................................................................................................
Place:.............................................................. Date:................................................................
Signature:......................................................................................................................................

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Section C.
Key terms and definitions for this Code of Conduct the following definitions are used:
HAD Employees: “HAD employees” include all staff with any contract established in Aden or by the HAD
Field Offices, to conduct activities outlined in their job descriptions or terms of reference.
In addition, any worker that is directly or indirectly involved with refugee or internally displaced communities
is to be included under this definition.
Abuse of power: Viewed positively, power is the ability to act, especially in ways that respect and empower
rather than dominate and oppress others. Those in positions of authority or trust are expected to carry this out
in responsible and just ways that do not take advantage of others, especially those who are more dependent or
vulnerable.
This includes other staff persons, beneficiaries, and others related to the organization. In most situations,
because of unequal power related to gender and age, women and children are particularly vulnerable. Abuse
of power is manifested in how those with less social power are treated physically, psychologically,
emotionally, and/or sexually. Sexual activity, even when consensual, between those of unequal power in this
sense is an abuse of power.
Corruption: As a particular form of the abuse of power, corruption is the abuse of one’s position for private
gain, such as misusing the financial and other resources of the organization.
Gender and power: Gender is the English word being used to describe cultural/societal differences between
males and females in terms of roles and responsibilities, expectations, power, privileges, rights, and
opportunities.
“Gender”: refers to the differences between males and females that are rooted in culture, tradition, society,
and religion. Gender is something that is learned from infancy. An individual or society’s gender perspective
can change.
Unequal power relationships: provide the basis for sexual exploitation and abuse. Due to their unequal
status, women and girls are particularly at risk of sexual exploitation and abuse. However, it is important to
recognize that boys are also vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse. Sexual exploitation Sexual coercion
and manipulation (includes all types of sexual acts) by a person in a position of power providing any type of
assistance in exchange for sexual acts. In these situations, the potential victim believes she/he has no other
choice than to comply; this is not consent and it is exploitation.
Exploitation: is using one’s position of authority, influence or control over resources, to pressure, force or
manipulate someone to do something against their will or unknowingly, by threatening them with negative
repercussions such as withholding project assistance, not approving an employee’s work support requests,
threatening to make false claims about an employee in public, etc.

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Sexual exploitation: is any abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust for sexual
purposes; this includes profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.
Sexual harassment: Sexual harassment means any unwelcome sexual advance, comment, expressed or
implied sexual demand, touch, joke, gesture, or any other communication or conduct of a sexual nature,
whether verbal, written or visual, by any person to another individual within the scope of work. Sexual
harassment may be directed at members of the same or opposite sex and includes harassment based on sexual
orientation. Sexual harassment can occur between any one or more individuals, employee or beneficiary,
regardless of their work relationship.
Sexual abuse Sexual abuse is actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, including
inappropriate touching, by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.
Discrimination: Discrimination means exclusion of, treatment of, or action against an individual based on
social status, race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, national origin,
political affiliation or disability.
Harassment: Harassment means any unwelcome comment or behaviour that is offensive, demeaning,
humiliating, derogatory, or any other inappropriate behaviour that fails to respect the dignity of an individual.
Harassment can be committed by or against any beneficiary, partners, employee or other individual visiting
HAD.
Minor/ Child: A person under age 18 (a child according to the definition in the Convention for the Rights of
the Child, CRC).
Protection: Ensuring that individual basic human rights, welfare and physical security are recognized,
safeguarded and protected in accordance with international standards.
Responsibility and accountability Consideration must be given as to the adequacy of internal systems to
maintain standards of behaviour.
A breach of the code of conduct, calls for sanctions established with the administrative rules and procedures
of HAD.

Aden,…………………………………………………..

Date:………………………………………………………….

Country Director Approval /Endorsement :…………………………………………..

Stamp: …………………………………………………………………………………….

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