DIR 1998rev.

- annexe 1
RH_DIR 14/02 - 27.02.2014

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR

EMPLOYEES OF THE

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC)

I. Introduction

1. The ICRC is an organization with an exclusively humanitarian mission. Its credibility,

ability to gain acceptance for its operations and capacity to act are underpinned by
observance of the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement (the “Movement”) and the trust vouchsafed it by governments, all
parties to armed conflicts and other situations of violence, and the victims in these
situations, whom it seeks to protect and assist.

2. This Code of Conduct (the “Code”)1 applies to all ICRC employees. For the purposes of
the Code, anyone who works for the ICRC under an employment contract or on another
basis (such as a secondment agreement with a National Society or another employer,
a consultancy contract or as a volunteer) is considered an employee.

3. The rules set forth in the Code are intended to promote safety, to ensure respect for the
people with whom the ICRC comes into contact, to protect employees and to project
a positive image of the ICRC so as to guarantee the effectiveness and integrity of its
work.

4. More specific rules also apply to employees depending on the context in which they
work, their area of activity and their job. Employees are required to comply with the Code
and the specific rules insofar as they apply; any violations thereof are likely to entail
consequences for the employee(s) concerned. In the event of a conflict between the
Code and the specific rules, the latter shall take precedence.

1
The original French will be considered the authentic text

RH-DIR – Code de conduite 1/4

II. Rules of conduct

A. General rules

1. The conduct of ICRC employees must be consistent with the Fundamental Principles of
the Movement.

2 ICRC employees must respect the dignity of the people with whom they come into
contact, in particular the beneficiaries of the ICRC’s work, and must carry out their duties
for the ICRC ever mindful that each of their actions in this context can have
repercussions for the fate of many human beings.

3. ICRC employees’ conduct must be characterized by integrity, respect and loyalty to

the ICRC’s interests and must not in any way harm or compromise the ICRC’s
reputation. Supervisory staff and managers have a particular responsibility for
ensuring that the Code is observed. Their conduct must set an example for all
their colleagues.

4. In operational contexts in particular, employees must, during both working and

non-working hours and in their private lives, abstain from any conduct that they know or
should know to be or to appear inappropriate, particularly in the specific context they
are in.

5. Employees must show due respect, particularly through their conduct, dress and
language, for the religious beliefs, usages and customs, rules, practices and habits of
the people of the country or context they are in and of their place of work (e.g. a hospital
or prison).

6. Employees must obey the law of the countries in which they work, including bilateral
agreements between that country’s authorities and the ICRC.

7. Employees must comply with the safety rules to which they are subject. They must at all
times demonstrate such self-restraint and discipline as the circumstances require,
especially in situations of armed conflict and other situations of violence in which the
ICRC operates.

8. Fraud in any form is strictly prohibited. Fraud is defined as any action aimed at obtaining
an unauthorized benefit, such as money, goods, services or other personal or
commercial advantages, regardless of whether such advantage benefits the employee(s)
concerned, the ICRC or a third party.

9. Employees are prohibited from using their position to obtain advantages or favours
and from accepting such advantages, favours or gifts in cash or in kind, promises of
gifts, and any other advantage other than token presents in keeping with accepted
custom, particularly in exchange for the assistance and/or protection provided by
the ICRC.

10. Employees may not engage in outside activities, whether paid or unpaid, except where
such activities are in no way prejudicial to the work and are not inconsistent with the
interests of the ICRC.

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B. Specific rules

1. Employees must comply with the rules that govern the use of the red cross, red crescent
and red crystal emblems.

2. Employees must refrain from wearing the official ICRC insignia when not officially on
duty.

3. Consuming, purchasing, selling, possessing and distributing narcotic drugs are all strictly
prohibited.

4. Employees must refrain from using or carrying about their person or in their luggage any
weapon or ammunition.

5. Employees are prohibited from taking photographs, filming or making audio recordings in
the course of their duties, irrespective of the medium used, unless their work so requires
or they obtain express approval from the ICRC.

6. Any employee who wishes to stand for public office must obtain the ICRC’s prior
approval.

III. Harassment, abuse of power and sexual exploitation

1. Harassment in any form, including sexual harassment, is strictly prohibited. In general,

harassment refers to a pattern of hostile language or actions expressed or carried out
against an employee over time. Sexual harassment refers to any sexual or
gender-related behaviour that is not desired by the person who is the victim of it and that
violates his or her dignity.

2. The purchase of sexual services and the practice of sexual exploitation are prohibited.
Sexual exploitation is understood as abuse of authority, trust or a situation of
vulnerability for sexual ends in exchange for money, work, goods or services.

3. Entering into a sexual relationship with a direct beneficiary of the ICRC’s assistance and
protection programmes or with a member of his or her immediate family, and using one’s
position to solicit sexual services in exchange for assistance and/or protection provided
by the ICRC, are prohibited.

4. Entering into a sexual relationship with a child (a girl or boy under 18 years of age) or
inciting or forcing a child to take part in activities of a sexual nature, whether or not he or
she is aware of the act committed and irrespective of consent is prohibited. This
prohibition also covers pornographic activities (photos, videos, games, etc.) that do not
involve sexual contact with the child, as well as acquiring, storing or circulating
documents of a paedophiliac nature, irrespective of the medium used.

5. Abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence against children (boys or girls below 18 years
of age) is prohibited. Employees must ensure that children’s safety and well-being is
protected at all times, and must prevent and respond to child abuse, neglect, exploitation
and violence. In all actions concerning children, the best interests of the child shall be a
primary consideration.

IV. Duty of discretion

1. Employees must maintain the utmost discretion towards third parties, including other
components of the Movement, with regard to information acquired in the course of their
work at the ICRC concerning matters that they are dealing with or that come to their

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 attention. They must treat this information confidentially, and in this regard they are
bound by an obligation analogous to that of professional secrecy. In particular, unless
their work so requires or they obtain express approval from the ICRC, employees are
prohibited from commenting on allegations concerning facts or situations that they know
or learn of through their work for the ICRC, even if these facts or situations are of
a public nature, and from lending them credibility which could harm the ICRC’s work.

2. Unless they have obtained the express prior consent of the ICRC, employees are also
prohibited, in the context of legal proceedings, public inquiries, fact-finding proceedings
and the like, from giving evidence relating to facts learned in the course of their work at
the ICRC and from revealing confidential information that they have gathered in the
course of their duties.

3. Employees must refrain from producing or publishing in their private capacity writings,
images, photographs, films, sounds or recordings concerning professional aspects of
their work or circumstances related thereto, irrespective of the medium (paper, radio or
electronic format, including email, blogs, social media and websites). Information and
facts that the ICRC explicitly considers not to be covered by the duty of discretion and
regarding which it communicates openly are not subject to the prohibition in this
paragraph. Employees who plan to produce or publish a work (e.g. an article, book or
blog) containing information covered by this paragraph must request prior written
authorization from the Director of the Department of Communication and Information
Management.

4. Unless their work so requires or they obtain express approval from the ICRC, employees
must refrain from taking a public stance on situations or events and from referring to
political or military situations in their communications with third parties.

5. Employees must refrain from associating any political positions they may take after
leaving the ICRC with their duties while employed by the ICRC.

6. Employees must not permanently store outside the workplace documents and images,
including in electronic format, that were created in the course of their work for the ICRC,
and must return them to the ICRC once they no longer have any use for them and no
later than the end of their employment with the ICRC.

7. The rules set forth in this section continue to apply after employment with the ICRC ends.

V. Use of information technology facilities

1. Employees must use ICRC information technology (IT) facilities for professional
purposes. The use of IT facilities for private purposes is permitted as long as such use:

- does not affect professional activities or imply any additional cost for the ICRC;
- does not involve downloading any software, images, sound or video;
- does not involve excessive storage of private data or messages or management of
private files on ICRC systems; and
- does not violate this Code.

2. Employees must use only those IT tools provided or authorized by the ICRC for all
electronic exchange of information that commits the ICRC. It is forbidden to send or
store information requiring special handling using IT facilities whose security is not
guaranteed by the ICRC.

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