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The OeAD Safeguarding Policy must be adhered to for all activities and events funded by the OeAD or compliance must be ensured through appropriate measures. 

If you have perceived or experienced a suspected serious violation of the OeAD’s Safeguarding Policy (PDF) as a participant in an OeAD-funded measure, write us an email using the contact details of the partners closest to you in “Partners” page.

However, if your comments haven’t been taken into consideration by the VOICES partnership, and you consider that trust with the partners has been severely damaged, please contact directly OeAD by leaving a message in the reporting system or write a direct email.

The Safeguarding Policy of OeAD 

The following principles therefore apply to all activities: 

1. We oppose violence in any form (psychological, physical, sexual, verbal). 
2. We respect the personal and physical boundaries of participants as well as their individual feelings about closeness and distance, and therefore refrain from inappropriate physical contact. 
3. We refrain from discrimination of any kind as well as from harassing or threatening participants. 
4. We refrain from making suggestive comments and inappropriate remarks about appearance, clothing, disabilities, etc. 
5. We refrain from bullying in any form and also intervene when others engage in bullying. 
6. We prevent the exploitation of positions of authority and dependency as well as the abuse of power. 
7. We treat participants with respect and uphold their right to privacy. 
8. We communicate in a manner appropriate to the age and target group and maintain respectful contact with participants via (social) media. 

Please ensure that the funded measures 

1. comply with the rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 
2. comply with the relevant national legislation and ensure the welfare of children. 
3. travel warnings, national and local youth protection regulations, and the duty of supervision at events involving young people are observed. Please inform children and young people about alcohol and nicotine bans. 
4. Rules for making audio, photo, and video recordings in advance, as well as for any subsequent publications (in particular consent requirements), are decided upon and communicated. 
5. The consent of legal guardians is obtained in advance, e.g., for activities or rules for making audio, photo, and video recordings. 
6. Adequate insurance policies are taken out. 
7. Persons who work with and supervise participants are checked in advance for their personal and professional suitability and are trained and instructed. 
8. A stay abroad is prepared as well as possible and the accommodation (e.g., hotel, youth hostel, etc.) and the host institution (e.g., host family, company, etc.) are carefully selected. 
9. Participants are accommodated in an age-appropriate manner and separated by gender when traveling. 
10. Participants are provided with a list of contact persons and emergency numbers and, in the case of stays abroad, embassy contacts. 
11. Rules of conduct and house rules are communicated to participants in advance. 
12. Any illnesses that may become acute during an event and any special needs of participants are taken into account. 
13. The selection process for participants is age-appropriate, reasonable, and conducted in a transparent manner. 
14. A risk assessment is carried out and, if necessary, an emergency plan is drawn up. 
15. Participants are given the opportunity to report incidents confidentially.