Prohibition of discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, and abuse of authority

Discrimination, sexual harassment and harassment are defined in SG's bulletin ST/SGB/2008/5

Discrimination is any unfair treatment or arbitrary distinction based on a person’s race, sex, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, age, language, social origin or other status. Discrimination may be an isolated event affecting one person or a group of persons similarly situated, or may manifest itself through harassment or abuse of authority.

Harassment is any improper and unwelcome conduct that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation to another person. Harassment may take the form of words, gestures or actions which tend to annoy, alarm, abuse, demean, intimidate, belittle, humiliate or embarrass another or which create an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. Harassment normally implies a series of incidents. Disagreement on work performance or on other work-related issues is normally not considered harassment and is not dealt with under the provisions of this policy but in the context of performance management.

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favour, verbal or physical conduct or gesture of a sexual nature, or any other behaviour of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation to another, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. While typically involving a pattern of behaviour, it can take the form of a single incident. Sexual harassment may occur between persons of the opposite or same sex. Both males and females can be either the victims or the offenders.

For further information please see ST/SGB/2008/5 and ST/SGB/2005/20.

In Focus: Gender Based Violence and the Workplace

Whether violence occurs within the workplace or outside, the financial effects of gender-based violence on the workplace are substantial. Experts worldwide increasingly acknowledge the costs to victims and employers alike. UN Women convened an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) in December 2010 to address the workplace effects of gender-based violence. The objective was to assist the United Nations in exploring the most current and reliable research and analysis on this topic, to identify best practices and reliable employer strategies and policies for minimizing the workplace effects, and to determine effective guidelines for assisting victims coping with abuse.

Secretary General Bulletins / SGBs on prohibition of discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, and abuse of authority

Guidelines on prohibition of discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, and abuse of authority

UN System Policies on prohibition of discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, and abuse of authority

International Agencies policies on prohibition of discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, and abuse of authority