This Code of Conduct of the ETH Model United Nations (from here on referred to as ETH MUN) establishes the principles and expectations for conduct and behavior for people affiliated with ETH MUN and for people who attend any activity organized by ETH MUN (from here on referred to as attendee or attendees). It outlines its scope, what recourse attendees have if they experience behaviour that violates this Code of Conduct, as well as the consequences attendees will face if they violate this Code of Conduct.
Scope and Applicability
This Code of Conduct applies to all attendees of a session, aftersession, conference, or any other event (from here collectively referred to as activity or activities) organized or co-organized by ETH MUN at the location of the activity for its entire duration (including setup and cleanup). In the case of conferences it includes travel to and from the conference if the delegates travel together.
This Code of Conduct applies with heightened scrutiny to all active members of the Board (from here on collectively referred to as the Board) of ETH MUN whenever they are acting in their capacity as members of the Board (even outside activities organized or co-organized by ETH MUN), and it applies at all times in the office of ETH MUN and in the immediate vicinity of said office.
Goals and Principles
The aim of this Code of Conduct is twofold. First, the Board wants to create a safe, respectful and welcoming environment for all attendees, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic or feature. Second, the Board wants to maintain a good reputation among the attendees, as well as toward any third party (be it a person, organization or any other entity).
Anti-Harassment Policy
Any form of harassment will not be tolerated and will be dealt with promptly and effectively. Harassment is here defined as any unwanted physical or verbal conduct that creates a hostile or intimidating environment. This may include, but is not limited to:
Any form of bullying will not be tolerated and will be dealt with promptly and effectively. Bullying is a particular form of personal harassment and may be characterized as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behavior, as abuse or misuse of power, position or knowledge through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient. It may be by an individual against an individual or involve groups of people. It may be obvious, or it may be subtle. Bullying can result from a misuse of individual power derived from perceived superior status/position, physical strength, or force of personality. It can also arise from the collective power that arises out of strength of numbers. This may include, but is not limited to:
ETH MUN has a zero tolerance policy for illegal activities (according to the Swiss Civil Code (Schweizerisches Zivilgesetzbuch (ZGB)) or the Swiss Criminal Code (Schweizerisches Strafgesetzbuch (StGB)). Any such incidents will be promptly reported to the police.
The Board recognizes that zealous advocacy for the country one represents is at the core of MUN, and the Chair(s) will moderate the discussion accordingly. Reports about statements or actions made by the delegates as representatives of their respective countries will be examined in the context of their countries’ real world position and policies.
Conference Policy
ETH MUN subsidizes tickets and accommodation for conferences, which means that spots are limited. As such, attendees are expected to attend at least 80% of all conference sessions, unless they have a reasonable justification to abstain, such as illness or injury sustained in events outside of their control. A hangover does not constitute a reasonable excuse.
Any attendee who has been registered for the conference by the Board must notify the Board of their intention to abstain as soon as possible. If this happens less than 7 days before the beginning of the conference, the attendee must also include reasonable justification for their absence as outlined above. The attendee may abstain from the conference without cause if they notify the Board of their intention to abstain 7 or more days before the beginning of the conference (as the Board is likely to be able to offer their spot to another person).
General Assembly Policy
The Board must announce the time and location of the next GA via at least one of the channels available to it (e.g. its WhatsApp Community, Instagram, or website) at least two weeks prior to it taking place.
Reporting Violations
If any attendee feels they are being harassed, bullied or have been spiked or witnessed such activities or the violation of any policy outlined in this Code of Conduct, they are encouraged to report potential incidents which will be handled seriously by the ETH MUN Board. Reports may be given either personally or anonymously.
Victims or witnesses can make a report in person by contacting one of the designated safety people. They can be contacted either through their respective email addresses or through the contact forms on the Code of Conduct page on the ETH MUN website. When on a conference trip, the head delegates can also be approached. When taking a personal report we will ensure your safety and confidentiality. Members of the Board are well-versed in this Code of Conduct and will handle every situation with respect and professionalism. We or the designated safe person will be happy to help you contact local law enforcement or otherwise assist you to feel safe.
Anonymous reports can be made through the form linked below. We cannot follow up an anonymous report with you directly, but we will fully investigate it and take whatever action is necessary to prevent a recurrence. The anonymous report will be directed to designated safety people.
The privacy of all parties involved in a harassment and/or bullying report will be protected to the greatest extent possible. Information about the report and the investigation will be shared only with those on a need-to-know basis in order to resolve the matter. All reports of harassment and/or bullying will be investigated fully, promptly, and confidentially.
Consequences and Enforcement
Upon receiving a report of a violation of this Code of Conduct, the Board will decide whether the report is within the scope and applicability of this Code of Conduct, as outlined in the relevant section. If it is, the Board will notify the person accused of the violation after seeking prior consent from the person who reported the violation or the victim (whichever is relevant), so they may present their case. If the report was made anonymously, then the Board will only take this step if it is certain that the anonymity of the person who made the report (or the victim, whichever is relevant) will not be jeopardized. The Board may conduct further investigation in a manner that ensures the privacy and safety of the person who made the report (or the victim, whichever is relevant).
Once the facts have been determined, the Board will decide and vote (during the next Board meeting) on an appropriate punishment depending on the severity of the violation. For the punishment to take effect, a simple majority of the Board members who are present must vote in favor. If the accused is a member of the Board, a neutral third party from VSETH must be present at the Board meeting as a neutral mediator, and the accused Board member does not have a vote on the matter. If exactly 50% vote in favor, the vote of the President acts as the tiebreaker. Punishments may be suspended or lifted in the same manner as they are enacted.
List of possible punishments in escalating severity (multiple may be applied at the same time):
The Board reserves the right to take measures not listed here if it deems such measures more appropriate to deal with the situation.
About this Code of Conduct
This Code of Conduct was adopted by the Board on dd.mm.yyyy. It may be amended (or made invalid) by a majority vote in the General Assembly (GA) (as outlined in Art. 5 of the regulations of the ETH MUN committee in the VSETH statutes). If any part of this Code of Conduct conflicts with VSETH statutes or the regulations of the ETH MUN committee, then the statutes (resp. the regulations) are to be taken as the higher authority.
Amendments may be proposed by any person with voting rights in the GA as recognized by the statutes of VSETH (Art. 3 and Art. 5 of the regulations of the ETH MUN committee). Any proposed amendments must be submitted to the Board in writing (e.g. via email) at least 1 week before the next GA. If the amendment is submitted after this deadline, it may only be considered by the GA following the next one. The Board must share any amendments it receives for consideration via at least one of the channels available to it (e.g. its WhatsApp Community, Instagram, or website) at least one week before the GA in which it is voted on. The Board reserves the right to edit any proposed amendment for clarity, while keeping its spirit intact.