The Conduct and Discipline Team

As the Adviser to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) at MONUSCO, the Conduct and Discipline Office (CDT) handles all matters related to conduct and discipline within MONUSCO. It manages misconduct issues through the United Nations' three-pronged strategy: prevention, enforcement, and remedial action.

Prevention of Misconduct: CDT raises awareness among all Mission personnel categories, NGOs, and the local population about the United Nations' standards of conduct. Through training programs and tailored tools, it ensures a better understanding of the conduct rules and mechanisms for reporting abuses. 

• Enforcement: CDT receives and processes all allegations of misconduct involving UN personnel, including cases of sexual exploitation and abuse. It forwards these reports to the appropriate investigative entities, provides guidance, and manages a database to monitor investigations and decisions. 

• Remedial Actions: CDT ensures that victims, particularly those of sexual exploitation and abuse, receive immediate assistance (medical, psychological, legal, etc.) upon the initial reports. At the conclusion of investigations, if the facts are confirmed, additional assistance is provided based on the specific needs of the victims.

Responsibilities of UN Personnel:

All United Nations staff members must adhere to the following responsibilities: 

• Integrity, professionalism, and respect for diversity. 

• Zero tolerance for misconduct, particularly sexual exploitation and abuse; 

• Individual and collective accountability for any misconduct, including the duty to protect and report.

UN Staff Values:

• Competence 

• Neutrality

• Adherence to conduct standards

• Confidentiality

• Respect for fundamental rights

Prohibition of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse 

In line with the Secretary-General’s bulletin ST/SGB/2003/13 – Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse: 

• All sexual activity with a person under 18 years of age is strictly prohibited. 

• Exchanging money, jobs, goods, assistance, or services for sexual relations is forbidden. 

• Using children or adults to provide sexual services to others is prohibited. 

All UN personnel have a duty to report any act of sexual exploitation and abuse committed by a colleague through established reporting mechanisms. Every allegation is thoroughly investigated, and if substantiated, severe disciplinary measures are applied (suspension, immediate repatriation, dismissal etc.).

You can consult the statistics of sexual exploitation and abuse allegations for all missions on: https://conduct.unmissions.org/

How to Report a Misconduct Allegation: 

Any perceived act of misconduct, including sexual exploitation and abuse, must be reported to the Conduct and Discipline Office:  - By email: monusco-cdt-inbox@un.org  - By phone: Free calls to +243 818 907 744 / +243 997 058 000  - In person at the conduct and discipline offices in Kinshasa, Goma, Beni, Bukavu, and Bunia, or through the Community-Based Complaint Network (CBCN).  Reports should be made as soon as possible after the incident, with as many details as possible (When? Who? What? Where?).  It is essential to act in good faith, as making a false allegation is a serious misconduct that wastes resources and is subject to sanctions.  Allegations can also be reported directly to the Investigation Division of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (ID/OIOS), the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the focal points for combating sexual exploitation and abuse in missions, or the sector office chiefs.  This clearly outlines the role of the focal points.

BUKAVU: 

Since June 30, 2024, MONUSCO has ceased operations in South Kivu province. However, as part of the transition process, a residual team remains active to ensure that United Nations Agencies, Funds, and Programs can effectively take over certain aspects of MONUSCO's mandate in South Kivu. 

It is important to emphasize that the Mission's withdrawal from South Kivu does not mean the suspension or termination of investigations, nor the end of the collection of complaints related to sexual exploitation and abuse. 

The Community-Based Complaint Networks (CBCN), initially set up by MONUSCO, have been integrated into a similar mechanism managed by the provincial coordination for the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse called the Community-Based Complaint Mechanism (CBCM). This mechanism addresses complaints of sexual exploitation and abuse by all humanitarian actors, without distinction. 

For any questions regarding cases of sexual exploitation and abuse, you can contact Dr. Bonfils Cheruga, provincial coordinator PSEA for South Kivu and Maniema. 

You can also report cases of sexual exploitation and abuse concerning MONUSCO or other UN Agencies such as UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO, WFP, UNDP, IOM, FAO, or UNOPS. 

- Phone: +243 977860003 

- Email: cheruga@unfpa.org 

It is also possible to contact representatives of the former CBCNs, now integrated into the CBCMs: 

- Ms. Zawadi, President of the former CBCN in Kavumu: +243 973099843 

- Mr. Salumu, President of the former CBCN in Bukavu: +243 999088608 

Useful Documents and Tools: 

• MONUSCO Code of Conduct for all personnel. click HERE. 
• Special measures for the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13),  click HERE. 
• Fighting discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment), and abuse of authority (ST/SGB/2019/8),  click HERE. 
• Misconduct: Investigation and disciplinary proceedings (ST/AI/2017/1),  click HERE. 
• Protection against retaliation for reporting misconduct and cooperating in duly authorized audits or investigations (ST/SGB/2017/2),  click HERE. 
• "To Serve with Pride" is a film produced to raise awareness among UN personnel and affiliates about the impact of sexual exploitation and abuse on individuals and communities. It provides clear information on the obligations of all those serving the UN: watch HERE. (YouTube video)

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