What we do
The Ethics Office provides a wide range of services to better equip UNICEF employees – staff, consultants, volunteers and non-staff personnel – to uphold the highest ethical standards in their work of serving and protecting the world’s children.
Advice and Guidance
We provide confidential advice and guidance to UNICEF employees on ethics matters, primarily related to conflicts of interests and workplace conduct and issues. Any employee can contact the Ethics Office for support navigating an ethical dilemma or question; we will help them analyze the situation, identify and understand rules and regulations that may apply, consider their options and make decisions that are aligned with the rules, standards of conduct and Core Values of UNICEF.
Training and Outreach
We conduct Ethics training across UNICEF, focused on the most common ethics issues employees face at work, customized to specific country and work contexts. Training is delivered virtually, in-person and through e-learning. In order to amplify our reach, the Ethics Office has created and currently coordinates a global network of 470 Ethics and Culture Champions, who play a key role in supporting an ethical, inclusive and respectful workplace culture in each of their offices.
Policy Input
We regularly review UNICEF policies and provide input to Management to ensure that our rules, polices, procedures and practices are aligned with and reinforce the standards of integrity articulated under the Charter of the United Nations.
Financial Disclosure
We administer UNICEF’s Conflict of Interest and Financial Disclosure Programme (CIFDP), which aims to mitigate the risks to the organization that may result from an employee’s personal financial interests and other potential conflicts of interest. We help filers identify, understand and resolve situations where there is a potential or actual conflict of interest, in order to promote public confidence in UNICEF and our employees.
Protection Against Retaliation (Whistleblower Protection)
We receive and review complaints from UNICEF employees and other individuals who believe they are facing retaliation for reporting misconduct or cooperating in an investigation or audit related to UNICEF. In these cases, we work with relevant Management to ensure interim protection measures are in place.
Request advice or protection against retaliation
If you are requesting protection against retaliation (whistle-blower protection), or if you need confidential advice and guidance on ethics-related matters related to UNICEF, please contact the UNICEF Ethics Office.
Please also refer to the UNICEF Policy on Whistle-blower Protection Against Retaliation and the United Nations Secretary-General’s bulletin, “United Nations system-wide application of ethics: separately administered organs and programmes” (ST/SGB/2007/11, dated 30 Nov 2007) and the related amendment (ST/SGB/2007/11/AMEND.1).
By e-mail: ethics@unicef.org
By mail:
Director – Ethics Office
United Nations Children’s Fund
3 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY, 10017 USA
Report wrongdoing
If you have experienced or witnessed misconduct, fraud, abuse or other types of wrongdoing committed by a UNICEF personnel, you are encouraged to report it to the UNICEF Office of Internal Audit and Investigations.
All addressed mail should be marked “Private and Confidential”.
By email: integrity1@unicef.org
By mail:
Director – Office of Internal Audit and Investigation (OIAI) – Investigation Section
United Nations Children’s Fund
3 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY, 10017 USA