Protection Mainstreaming at IOM Romania

What is Protection Mainstreaming?

Protection mainstreaming is the process of incorporating protection principles and promoting meaningful access, safety and dignity in humanitarian aid. Mainstreaming protection ensures that the protective impact of aid programming is maximised. Through the incorporation of protection principles into aid delivery, humanitarian actors can ensure that their activities target the most vulnerable, enhance safety, dignity, and promote and protect the human rights of the beneficiaries without contributing to or perpetuating discrimination, abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation.

 

Our Protection Mainstreaming Approach

  • Prioritise safety & dignity, and avoid causing harm: Prevent and minimise as much as possible any unintended negative effects of our activities and intervention which would increase people’s vulnerability to both physical and psychosocial risks.
  • Meaningful access: Arrange for people’s access to assistance and services – in proportion to need and without any barriers. Pay special attention to individuals and groups who may be particularly vulnerable or have difficulty accessing assistance and services.

  • Accountability: Set-up appropriate mechanisms through which affected populations can measure the adequacy of interventions, and address concerns and complaints.

  • Participation and empowerment: Support the development of self-protection capacities and assist people to claim their rights, including – not exclusively – the rights to shelter, food, water and sanitation, health, and education.

IOM’s overarching goal on protection is to place the rights and well-being of migrants, regardless of their status, as well as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), at the centre of its operations. This means ensuring the protection of migrants across the full spectrum of migration management and governance, including but not limited to:

  • Migration and development;
  • Facilitating migration;
  • Regulating migration;
  • Addressing forced migration;
  • Internal displacement;
  • Preventing and promoting sustainable resolution of displacement that upholds and protects rights of IDPs.

Learn more about protection at IOM Romania below:

Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)

Embedding the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) within humanitarian, stabilisation, and development programming is no longer a choice but a necessity. Sexual misconduct by aid workers is a grave violation of individual rights and directly contradicts the principles upon which humanitarian action is based. It harms the people we are obligated to protect and jeopardises the credibility of our assistance work.

‘Sexual exploitation’ means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, power differential, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.

IOM has a policy of zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by IOM staff members and the employees or any other persons engaged and controlled by IOM Contractors.

All IOM staff members are required to take the mandatory IOM PSEA Awareness-Raising Training.

As the first ever Inter-agency Standing Committee (IASC) Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Champion, IOM has been a leader in addressing collective PSEA action since 2011. During the same time period, it also strengthened its internal approach to not only Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse but also Protection from Sexual Harassment (PSEAH) and in 2022 a dedicated PSEAH Unit was established within the Office of the Director General (now called the Executive Office).

We Are All In (WAAI)

We Are All In is an integral instrument for accountability, and a channel to report all allegations of misconduct. IOM Romania continually works to ensure that all IOM staff and affiliate personnel – as well as beneficiaries – know where and how to report.

All allegations of sexual misconduct, even rumours, must be reported immediately:

  • Through the weareallin.iom.int reporting platform
  • By sending an email to OIGIntake@iom.int 
  • By clicking on the yellow Report Misconduct button at the IOM intranet
  • For issues related to retaliation, contact the Ethics and Conduct Office (ECO@iom.int)
  • For counselling or staff welfare issues related to IOM staff, contact the Staff Welfare Office (SWO@iom.int)
Non-Discrimination

At IOM Romania we work with, support, employ, and assist everyone, irrespective of their race, religion, skin colour, nationality, age, disability status, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family structure, mental health status, or any other characteristic.

Within IOM Romania, we value and invite diversity into our workforce as we know it is one of the factors that make us qualified to deal with the complex issue of migration.  We see diversity as one of our organisational strengths. Our aim is to foster an inclusive workplace where everyone treats each other (including colleagues and beneficiaries) with dignity and respect, and where everyone’s voice is heard and taken into account. Our policies encourage a workplace free from discrimination and any form of harassment. Our staff are trained on issues related to Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC), and how to work with LGBTIQ+ individuals (beneficiaries and colleagues). We are constantly seeking to improve our policies and practices to be at the forefront of workplace diversity and inclusion standards, in line with human rights principles.

Humanitarian Principles

The four humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence are fundamental to humanitarian action.

  • Humanity means that human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found, with particular attention to the most vulnerable.
  • Neutrality means that humanitarian aid must not favour any side in an armed conflict or other dispute.
  • Impartiality means that humanitarian aid must be provided solely on the basis of need, without discrimination.
  • Independence means the autonomy of humanitarian objectives from political, economic, military or other objectives.

IOM Romania recognises that our continued adherence to the humanitarian principles facilitates access and acceptance, and helps our humanitarian workers carry out their work.

 

 

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT A CASE OF LABOUR TRAFFICKING OR EXPLOITATION 

  • Call the emergency number: 112
  • Contact the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (ANITP) hotline: 0800 800 678
  • Report to local authorities

Addressing the complex issue of human trafficking, especially labour trafficking, requires awareness, education, and collaborative efforts. By understanding the indicators of labour trafficking and differentiating it from labour exploitation, we can empower communities, law enforcement agencies, and policymakers to identify, prevent, and combat this heinous crime. Together, we can work towards a world where every individual is free, protected, and able to pursue a life of dignity and fulfilment. 

Counter Trafficking
Migration Management
Developing Resources