Help Botswana / Complaints, Feedback & Suggestions

Complaints, Feedback & Suggestions

If you are aware of fraud committed by another refugee, UNHCR staff member or partner staff report:

    • By post: UNHCR South Africa Multi-Country Office. Waterkloof House, 209 Waterkloof Road Brooklyn. Pretoria, South Africa

    • By phone (toll-free hotline): +27 800 100 030

    • In-person: UNHCR Dukwi Field Office

UNHCR Inspector General Office of the UNHCR Inspector General:

OR

    • via letters through the UNHCR Complaint Boxes In Dukwi, Botswana: UNHCR Office

If you or someone you know has concerns or suspicions about possible misconduct, exploitation and sexual abuse by a UNHCR or UN staff member or any person who has a link to the UN (e.g., staff of a UNHCR NGO partner), regardless of their position, please report it.

If you want to leave a suggestion or a comment to UNHCR in Dukwi, you can use the suggestions and comments box outside of the UNHCR Field Office.

You do not have to write your name when you make a comment or suggestion. The suggestion box is locked and treated with confidentiality. We check the box monthly, and your suggestions and comments will help UNHCR improve its programming.

Visit IGO’s website for more information.

If you are aware of or have concerns or suspicions about a possible case of sexual exploitation and abuse by a UNHCR, UN or NGO staff member, you can confidentially report any violation of this to UNHCR.

To report fraud, corruption, sexual abuse or exploitation, or other misconduct, contact UNHCR Inspector General Office:

In your report, you should include:

  • What happened?
    • Describe in detail what you know about the incident or incidents.
  • Who committed the alleged wrongdoing?
    • Do you know if anyone else was involved? Please provide full names, job titles and organisation, if possible.
  • When and where did the incident or incidents occur?
    • Please include dates and times, if possible.

Your report will be treated with discretion and kept strictly confidential.

Sexual exploitation and abuse include situations where a person in a position of power, including humanitarian workers, abuse their position of power or the trust of refugees, asylum seekers or migrants to obtain sexual relations or favours.

Sexual exploitation is defined as an actual or attempted abuse of someone’s position of vulnerability (such as an asylum-seeker or refugee person living in a refugee camp and depending on organisations/UN agencies for survival, food rations, schoolbooks, transport or other services), differential power or trust, to obtain sexual favours, including but not only, by offering money or other social, economic or political advantages. It includes trafficking and prostitution.

Sexual abuse means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force, or under unequal or coercive conditions. It includes sexual slavery, pornography, child abuse and sexual assault.

The threat, use of force or intimidation to engage in sexual relations or to obtain sexual favours from any person in a position of unequal power is sexual abuse. UNHCR staff and partner organizations are strictly prohibited to:

    • Engage in any sexual conduct with another person in exchange for money, employment, preferential treatment, goods or services.

    • Engage in any sexual conduct with a person under 18 years of age.

    • Engage in any sexual conduct with those persons to whom services are provided and for whom a protection mandate is in place.

    • Engage in any humiliating, degrading or exploitative sexual practices.

At UNHCR, we take allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse very seriously. We will investigate them independently and confidentially and action will be taken to prevent their recurrence.

YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW:

    • Were you forced or asked to exchange sex or perform any action of a sexual nature in exchange for assistance, food, shelter, shelter, money or any other type of aid?

    • Were you forced by someone from UNHCR or a partner organization to have sex or perform any other act of a sexual nature?

    • Were you threatened by someone from UNHCR or a partner organization to engage in sexual relations or any other act of a sexual nature?

    • Do you know or are you a person under the age of 18 who has had or been asked to have sexual relations, of any kind, with someone from UNHCR or a partner organization?

If you answered yes to any of the above options, you or the person you know could be a victim of sexual exploitation and abuse, please report it!

    • You have the right to file a report or complaint in person, anonymously or on behalf of someone else.

    • You can tell a trusted person at UNHCR, or a partner organization that you want to file a report. A staff member will then contact you to follow up.

    • You can drop your complaint in one of the complaint/suggestion boxes in UNHCR or partners’ offices or write an email to: [email protected]

Remember:

    • The IGO ensures confidentiality of the investigation, information, and reports, as well as due process throughout the investigative process.

    • When reporting, we will always consider your safety.

    • Reporting an incident or raising concerns will NOT prevent you from receiving assistance and support and will not stop the provision of services.

    • The person to whom you have reported or whoever receives the report will be able to advise and assist you with any immediate safety, security, health and legal needs. Leaving your contact information is optional.

    • If the investigation finds that a staff member failed to comply with UN Staff Regulations and Rules or the standards of conduct expected of a UNHCR staff member, serious disciplinary action will be taken against the offending person

When reporting possible misconduct, please describe in detail your information about the incident, including What happened, who committed the possible act, and where and when did it happen? Be as detailed as possible.