Introduction
10. The phrase “Protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH)" is interchangeable with “Prevention and response to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment". The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), which sets the standards and norms for protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH), uses PSEAH, while WHO prefers to use PRSEAH to emphasize prevention and response. The SOPs and toolkits for emergency operations draw from the IASC PSEA standards, so reference will be made to PSEAH instead of PRSEAH.
20. Sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) by WHO personnel and collaborators violates the rights and well-being of the people we serve and the people with whom we serve. Such behaviours contradict WHO's and the United Nation's core values and abiding responsibility to do no harm. While SEAH can occur anywhere, the risk is higher in humanitarian or health emergency settings due to the increased vulnerability of emergency-affected populations, compounded by the surge in the number of humanitarian workers.
30. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) has incorporated measures for PSEAH in its Emergency Response Framework (ERF) and its emergency response operations; PSEAH is a dedicated sub-pillar in the Incident Management System (IMS). While this framework was developed to guide PSEAH mainstreaming in graded WHO emergency operations for acute and protracted crises, it can also be used in the context of smaller, non-graded events.
PSEAH mainstreaming in emergency operations
40. The WHO Representative is accountable for all PSEAH-related matters in-country; this also applies in emergencies. In graded events, the Incident Manager (IM) and Incident Management Team (IMT) work closely with the designated PSEAH Technical Officer or part-time focal Point, and with support from the respective region and Headquarters (HQ), to ensure PSEAH activities are planned, implemented, and monitored.
50. For emergency response operations requiring additional support from the regional and HQ levels, it is important to deploy a full-time technical specialist for the duration of the emergency operations from either the WHO surge roster of PSEAH experts or through the Stand-by Partners (SBP) and in line with the principles for surge deployment. In priority countries with PSEAH Technical Officers in staff positions, additional surge capacity may be deployed should the need for PSEAH mainstreaming in ongoing emergency operations exceed the capacity of the in-country Technical Officer. In consultation with the Technical Team, the Incident Manager is responsible for ensuring adequate capacity for PSEAH mainstreaming in the response operations.
60. PSEAH in emergency operations at the country level should be implemented jointly with the Inter-Agency in-country PSEA network partners. The WHO PSEAH technical specialist or focal point should endeavour to work closely with and contribute to the joint PSEAH action plan, ensuring the activities are aligned with the PSEAH outcome measures of:
- prevention;
- safe and accessible reporting;
- access to victim support;
- enforcing leadership and accountability, including ensuring available capacities for investigation; and
- contribution to inter-agency PSEA structures and mechanisms.
Efforts should be made to link the in-country reporting mechanisms, when they exist or are established, with the WHO hotline to facilitate immediate response, including investigation.
70. In the context of a high prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), efforts should be made to integrate GBV in the response operations and to coordinate PSEAH actions with GBV services or the GBV area of responsibility (AoR) to ensure accessible victim support services.
80. Reference should be made to the “WHE Minimum Operating PSEAH Standards in Graded Emergencies Implementation Checklist" (pending), which outlines the ten minimum PSEAH interventions to be implemented in emergency operations. Some of the minimum interventions include but are not limited to the following:
- ensuring PSEAH technical capacity is embedded in the IMST and supporting PSEAH implementation and integration;
- pre-deployment recruitment safeguarding measures, including the use of UN ClearCheck vetting and signing of the pre-deployment checklist;
- completion of mandatory training as per pre-deployment checklist:
- United to Respect: Preventing Sexual Harassment and Other Prohibited Conduct
- Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)
- Introduction on the prevention of and response to sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (PRSEAH)
- conducting a PSEAH risk and needs assessment (RNA);
- development of a PSEAH action plan integrated within the emergency response plan and
- the mobilization of adequate resources through the various funding appeals to ensure sufficient resources for PSEAH implementation as per the plan of action to achieve the PSEAH outcome measures.
90. WHO and all its partners shall collaborate to strengthen PSEAH capacities of partners engaged in the response operations, following the IASC PSEA Protocol for implementing partners. WHO, as a Health Cluster lead, also has an obligation to strengthen the PSEAH capacities of Health Cluster partners to promote adherence to the PSEAH principles and protect emergency-affected populations from potential abuses.
100. With the senior-most in-country UN official (Resident Coordinator or Humanitarian Coordinator) having overall responsibility for PSEAH, WHO works within the UN Inter-Agency PSEAH network to implement the joint PSEA action plan. It is the responsibility of WHO to designate a PSEAH Technical Officer or focal point to the in-country PSEA network and facilitate their contribution to the development and implementation of the joint PSEAH action plan to achieve expected outcome measures. In the case of public health emergency (PHE) operations, WHO shall commit to or support the PSEAH leadership and coordination function of the in-country PSEA network to ensure effective integration and mainstreaming of PSEAH in the response operations.
110. For public health emergencies in which WHO is the health cluster lead and where feasible, WHO should request the Ministry of Health to designate at least one national PSEAH focal point to represent the national government in the network and facilitate engagement with the national government on PSEAH. Further information on the Health Cluster's commitment to PSEAH can be found at XVII.10.5 Health Cluster.
120. If a case of SEA or sexual harassment is reported implicating WHO or its direct partners, funds for victim support can be accessed from the WHO Director, Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct (PRS). As per the agreement with the donors, such information should immediately be notified to the donors funding the emergency operations to avoid the interruption of emergency funds to the response operations.
130. WHO will follow the UN system-wide scale-up protocol for responding to infectious diseases to ensure recommended measures for PSEAH are implemented as part of the system-wide scale-up for response to infectious diseases and to ensure appropriate PSEAH capacities and resources are considered and integrated into the system-wide scale-up.
PSEAH Operational /After Action Review
140. Lessons from PSEAH operational reviews or after-action reviews can be conducted as a standalone activity or integrated into the lessons learned for emergency response operations.
