Event highlights
From 19–20 November, the WHO Country Office in Bulgaria successfully conducted the “Training of trainers (TOT) on prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH)”, which trained 20 individuals from 14 Bulgarian and refugee-led organizations. The training was jointly funded through the national offices of United Nations (UN) organizations in Bulgaria, including WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Organization for Migration (IOM). The interactive 2-day curriculum, co-facilitated by WHO and IOM, included role-playing to build a learning environment among the 14 Bulgarian and refugee-led organizations, all of whom are members of the inter-agency PSEA Network, part of the UN’s wider refugee coordinating mechanism. This event successfully highlighted the enhanced effectiveness and efficiency of UN agencies working together at the country level to deliver a unified, coordinated and harmonized PSEAH approach in Bulgaria.
The TOT curriculum centred on the UN Partner Portal, a knowledge-sharing site to facilitate collaboration among civil society organizations and the UN. The objectives for the TOT were based on tools from the Portal and included:
- a definition of SEA (aligned with the UN definition);
- an explanation about the prohibition of SEA; and
- actions that personnel are required to take (i.e., prompt reporting of allegations and referral of victims).
As part of the wider UN PSEAH response in Bulgaria, the UN Protocol on SEA Allegations involving Implementing Partners was used as a reference during the TOT, summarizing a partner’s role.
- Take all reasonable and appropriate measures to prevent and address sexual misconduct, and take any corrective measures that may be necessary with respect to sexual misconduct by their employees or other persons they engage.
- Take preventive and response measures as stated in the UN Protocol on SEA Allegations involving Implementing Partners.
- Participate in sexual misconduct prevention and response capacity assessments, trainings and awareness-raising events and implement capacity development measures identified.
- Immediately report all credible allegations/cases and action taken to appropriate channels.
The training supported participants in increasing transparency, how to prevent and respond to PSEAH, and how to reduce the reporting processes. An additional key component of the TOT focused on how to develop an organizational PSEAH Plan of Action, using technical resources and guidance from the inter-agency PSEA Network co-coordinator. The TOT laid the foundation on how these organizations can develop ongoing cascade training and train additional members of their teams. In this regard, WHO and key UN partners in Bulgaria will continue to provide ongoing support and mentoring on PSEAH well into 2025 and beyond.
Event notice
The WHO Country Office in Bulgaria, with support from WHO/Europe’s regional coordinator for prevention and response to sexual misconduct, will join with the country offices of the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration to facilitate a 2-day training of trainers on PSEAH.
The event will take place in Sofia on 19 and 20 November 2024. It will gather members of the Inter-agency PSEAH Network, including United Nations-funded Bulgarian partners. Participants will include local, international and refugee-led nongovernmental organizations working in Bulgaria to support refugees, vulnerable populations and children.
The curriculum will cover PSEAH core principles and key topics, and will include plenary discussions, testimonial exercises, case study analyses and activities focusing on the development of PSEAH training plans. Participants will also practise delivering a PSEAH session in real time.
This event highlights the synergies among United Nations agencies working together to support the zero-tolerance policy of the United Nations PSEAH framework to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse among refugees, vulnerable populations and children.