Abuse of authority is the improper use of a position of influence, power or authority by UNDP personnel against UNDP or external personnel or a group thereof. This includes situations when the person in question uses their influence, power or authority to arbitrarily influence the career or employment conditions (including, but not limited to, appointment, assignment, contract renewal, performance evaluation or promotion) of other UNDP or external personnel. Abuse of authority can include a one-time incident or a series of incidents. It may also consist of conduct that creates a hostile or offensive work environment, which includes, but is not limited to, the use of intimidation, threats, blackmail or coercion.
Administrative leave is an exceptional status provided for by Staff Rule 10.4 in which a staff member may be suspended from performing his or her functions. A staff member may be placed on administrative leave, subject to conditions specified by the Administrator, at any time from the receipt of an allegation of misconduct and prior to the initiation of an investigation, through the course of an investigation until the completion of disciplinary proceedings as appropriate. Administrative leave can be with pay (ALWP), with partial pay or without pay (ALWOP).
Is the process of collecting, preserving and securing basic evidence, and the evaluation of this evidence to determine whether an investigation into reported allegations of wrongdoing is warranted
The procedure initiated against a staff member pursuant to Staff Regulation 10.1, Chapter X of the Staff Rules, and Chapter IV of the present document.
Unfair treatment or arbitrary distinction based on a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. Discrimination may be an isolated event affecting one person or a group of persons similarly situated, or may manifest itself through harassment or abuse of authority.
The obligation imposed on staff members under Staff Regulation 1.2 (r) and Staff Rule 1.2 (c) to assist in an investigation, when requested to do so, by providing information in any form, including testimony, as relevant.
Any type of proof which tends to establish or disprove a fact material to the case. It includes, but is not limited to, oral testimony of witnesses, including experts on technical matters, documents, electronic, audio, video records and photographs.
Refers to the closure of the staff member’s case after disciplinary proceedings have been initiated through the issuance of a charge letter to him or her.
Harassment is any improper and unwelcome conduct by UNDP personnel against UNDP or external personnel that has caused, or that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause, offence or humiliation. Harassment may be present in the form of words, gestures, electronic communication or other actions that annoy, alarm, abuse, demean, intimidate, belittle, or cause personal humiliation or embarrassment to another, or cause an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. It includes but is not limited to harassment based on any grounds, such as race, religion, color, creed, ethnic origin, physical attributes, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Harassment will often consist of a series of incidents, but it may be brought about by a single incident only.
The process of planning and conducting appropriate lines of inquiry to determine the factual basis of allegations, and, if substantiated, assembling a dossier of evidence to permit a decision at a later stage as to whether formal charges of misconduct should be made against a staff member, or, whether the case should be closed.
is any person who is not the investigation subject but who cooperates with an investigation, for instance by being interviewed or by providing information. Investigation participants may be staff members cooperating pursuant to Staff Regulation 1.2 (r) and Staff Rule 1.2 (c), or non-staff and third persons who provide relevant information.
A member of the Office of Audit and Investigations (OAI) or a person authorised by OAI to conduct an investigation related to cases of allegations of wrongdoing. An investigator may also be a person authorised directly by the Secretary-General or the Administrator in certain cases, to conduct an investigation into allegations of wrongdoing.
The failure by a staff member to comply with his or her obligations under the Charter of the United Nations, the Staff Regulations and the Staff Rules or other relevant administrative issuances, or to observe the standards of conduct expected of an international civil servant. Such a failure could be deliberate (intentional, or wilful act), or result from an extreme or aggravated failure to exercise the standard of care that a reasonable person would have exercised with respect to a reasonably foreseeable risk (gross negligence) or from a complete disregard of a risk which is likely to cause harm (recklessness).
Retaliation is any direct or indirect detrimental action recommended, threatened or taken against an individual because that individual engaged in a “Protected Activity” as defined in the UNDP Policy for Protection against Retaliation. Interim and permanent protective measures may also be implemented to ensure the victim of retaliation is shielded from current or future threats or acts of retribution. However, the legitimate application of regulations, rules or administrative policies, issuances or procedures, or the mere expression of disagreement, admonishment, criticism or a similar expression regarding work performance, conduct or related issues within a supervisory or similar relationship, do not constitute Retaliation. Retaliation is itself a separate act of misconduct and a violation of the UNDP Policy for Protection against Retaliation.
For the purposes of the present bulletin, the term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.
Sexual Harassment is a form of harassment and is any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favour, verbal or physical conduct or gesture of a sexual nature, or any other behaviour of a sexual nature that has or that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offense or humiliation. Sexual harassment may result in an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment or is made a condition of employment. Sexual harassment normally implies a series of incidents. However, a one-time incident could fall within the definition of sexual harassment if it has an unambiguously offensive sexual character. Staff members with any gender identity can be either the injured party or the offender.