Call for Public Comments on the Proposed Draft of Safeguarding Against Sexual Exploitation, Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEAH) Policy

Photo: Adaptation Fund

The CMP 17 and CMA 4 mandated the Adaptation Fund Board to adopt a policy on safeguarding against sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) (Decision 4/CMP.17, paragraph 13 and Decision 18/CMA.4, paragraph 12). In response to this,  the Board considered, at the 41^st meeting (October 2023), Document AFB/41/8/Rev. 1, which contained an overview of international organizations’ policies and frameworks to prevent and protect from SEAH and options for a Fund’s policy safeguarding against SEAH.

At its 42^nd meeting (April 2024), the Board considered document AFB/B.42/12, which contained common definitions of SEAH and their application and options for the Board to adopt a policy on safeguarding SEAH and decided (Decision B.42/57) as follows:

• (a) To develop an Adaptation Fund policy on safeguarding against sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH);
• (b) To request the secretariat:
  • (i) To prepare a draft of the Adaptation Fund policy on safeguarding against SEAH, taking into account the discussion at the forty-second meeting of the Board and in consultation with relevant stakeholders of the Adaptation Fund;
  • (ii) To present the outcome of the work referred to in subparagraph (b) (i) to the Board for consideration at its forty-fourth meeting;
  • (iii) To consider amending the Fund’s other policies in alignment with the Adaptation Fund policy on safeguarding against SEAH once that policy is adopted by the Board.

The draft of the SEAH policy has been prepared in line with decision B.42/57.

How to Participate: Comments on the draft SEAH policy (attached and available here) are requested by 21 July 2025 to ylee12@adaptation-fund.org and rmusizvingoza@adaptation-fund.org with the subject line “Public_SEAH consultations.”

Guiding questions: 

• Does the draft SEAH policy address the key issues and risks that should be mandated? Are there any elements which are not covered in the draft of the draft SEAH policy?
  • Comprehensiveness and clarity: Does the Policy clearly and comprehensively define the scope and types of misconduct it covers (i.e. sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment)?
  • Implementation feasibility: Are the roles and responsibilities of Covered Actors and Implementing Entities clearly outlined and feasible to implement? Is further clarification or support needed?
  • Survivor-centered approach: Does the policy effectively reflect a survivor-centered approach to addressing SEAH, and what enhancements could strengthen this focus?
  • Accessibility and Reporting Mechanism: Are there ways to improve these to ensure accessibility and safety, particularly for individuals in vulnerable or remote contexts?
  • Prevention and Accountability Measures: Is there sufficient attention to prevention including integration of SEAH safeguards in recruitment, project design, and partner engagement?  Does the policy include adequate measures to ensure compliance and deter misconduct?
• Does the policy align well with related Fund policies such as the Environmental and Social Policy and the Gender Policy and Action Plan? Are there areas where further integration or cross-referencing is needed?
• Do you have any additional comments, concerns, or suggestions that could improve the clarity, effectiveness, or inclusiveness of the SEAH Policy?

The draft SEAH policy will be finalized considering the input gathered through the stakeholder consultations and subsequently submitted to the Board for approval at the 45th meeting in October 2025.