Safeguarding, Trust & Transparency

Orbis is committed to keeping people safe, acting with integrity, and earning the trust of our staff, partners, donors, and the communities we serve. Our safeguarding approach is grounded in respect for every person and includes clear ethical policies, training, and reporting systems to protect people from harm and uphold the highest standards of conduct. 

Our approach to keeping people safe is guided by the following principles:

• to take appropriate measures to protect people from harm and treat people with respect.
• to take safeguarding seriously to ensure we provide the highest standards of care worldwide.
• to work closely with long term partners in the countries where we operate.
• to ensure all staff, contractors and volunteers follow a strict ethical code of practice and clear policies to keep people safe.
• for all partners to agree to follow clear safeguarding policies and train their staff on these policies before they can work with us.
• to commit to upholding these principles throughout our global operations.

Orbis has adopted a Code of Conduct which includes the following set of safeguarding policies: 
 

• Harassment-Free Workplace Policy
• Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
• Discrimination-Free Workplace Policy
• Safeguarding policy
• Whistleblower Policy

For more information on these policies please contact [email protected].

Orbis has also established an Ethics Hotline, operated by our vendor Navex Global, which provides employees with a confidential and anonymous route to report issues or concerns. Orbis’s Whistleblower Policy includes an Anti-Retaliation Policy which protects anyone who makes good faith concerns against retaliation.

To further strengthen these practices, Orbis has joined the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS). The Scheme supports participating organizations to share and request information about serious misconduct findings related to sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment during recruitment checks. By participating, Orbis further aligns its recruitment practices with global efforts to prevent individuals who have committed serious misconduct from moving between organizations without appropriate disclosure.

This membership builds on our existing safeguarding framework and reflects our ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and safe environments for all people impacted by our work.