What Is Safeguarding?
Preventing and reducing risk of harm
UNICEF is committed to safeguarding. This means we work in ways that prevent and reduce the risk of harm to all persons as a result of their contact with UNICEF or the work of the organization. Safeguarding should be embedded in processes, plans and actions as an integral part of programmatic and operational excellence.
UNICEF’s Policy on Safeguarding sets out UNICEF’s safeguarding principles and standards, prohibited actions, and expected practices. It aims to ensure a safeguarding culture and a proactive approach towards preventing and mitigating harm, early intervention and responding to safeguarding risks.
UNICEF takes action in a manner consistent with the rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (read the child-friendly version). In particular, the best interests of the child are a primary consideration in all matters concerning children.
The ‘do no harm’ principle is paramount for safeguarding. UNICEF makes every effort to ensure that no one is harmed because of UNICEF. UNICEF applies safeguarding standards without discrimination based on individual characteristics or personal circumstances. UNICEF recognizes that some individuals and groups – based on their gender, age, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, indigeneity, nationality and migration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression and sex characteristics, in particular women and girls – are often at a higher risk of experiencing safeguarding violations, and therefore that such risks should be mitigated accordingly and in partnership with those individuals or groups.