The World Food Forum 2025: Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future
WFF 2025 flagship event

Code of Conduct for WFF flagship event

Adopted from the Code of Conduct to Prevent Harassment, Including Sexual Harassment at FAO events.

 

Purpose

The World Food Forum (WFF) is committed to enabling events at which everyone can participate in an inclusive, respectful and safe environment.

The WFF flagship event is guided by the highest ethical and professional standards, and all participants are expected to behave with integrity and respect towards all participants attending or involved with the event.

 

Applicability

The Code of Conduct applies to any FAO event, which shall include meetings, conferences and symposia, assemblies, receptions, scientific and technical events, expert meetings, workshops, exhibits, side events and any other forum organized, hosted or sponsored in whole or part by FAO wherever it takes place, and any event or gathering that takes place on FAO premises whether or not FAO is organizing, hosting or sponsoring.

The Code of Conduct applies to all participants at the flagship event, including all persons attending or involved in any capacity in the event.

WFF commits to implementing the Code of Conduct.

The Code of Conduct is not legal or prescriptive in nature. It supplements and does not affect, the application of other relevant policies, regulations, rules and laws, including laws regulating the premises in which the event takes place and any applicable host country agreements.

 

Prohibited conduct

Harassment is any improper or unwelcome conduct that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation to another person. Harassment in any form because of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, physical ability, physical appearance, ethnicity, race, national origin, political affiliation, age, religion or any other reason is prohibited at the flagship event.

Sexual harassment is a specific type of prohibited conduct. Sexual harassment is any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offense or humiliation. Sexual harassment may involve any conduct of a verbal, nonverbal or physical nature, including written and electronic communications, and may occur between persons of the same or different genders.

Examples of sexual harassment include. but are not limited to:

  • Making derogatory or demeaning comments about someone's sexual orientation or gender identity;
  • Name-calling or using slurs with a gender/sexual connotation;
  • Making sexual comments about appearance, clothing or body parts;
  • Rating a person's sexuality;
  • Repeatedly asking a person for dates or asking for sex;
  • Staring in a sexually suggestive manner;
  • Unwelcome touching, including pinching, patting, rubbing or purposefully brushing up against a person;
  • Making inappropriate sexual gestures, such as pelvic thrusts;
  • Sharing sexual or lewd anecdotes or jokes;
  • Sending sexually suggestive communications in any format;
  • Sharing or displaying sexually inappropriate images or videos in any format; and
  • Attempted or actual sexual assault, including rape.

 

Complaint process

A participant who feels that they have been harassed at the WFF flagship event may report the matter to the organizer of event or relevant security authority and a participant who witnesses such harassment should make such a report. Such reporting shall have no effect on any applicable rules and procedures that may apply in FAO or to other personnel. The organizer of the event will be expected to take appropriate action in accordance with its applicable policies, regulations and rules.

Examples of appropriate action may include, but are not limited to:

  • Undertaking a fact-finding exercise;
  • Requesting the perpetrator to immediately stop the offending behaviour;
  • Suspending or terminating the perpetrator's access to the event or refusing registration at future WFF events, or both;
  • Conveying the complaint to any investigative or disciplinary authority with jurisdiction over the person accused of harassment; and
  • Conveying a report to the employer or entity with jurisdiction over the person accused of harassment for appropriate follow-up action.

The victim of alleged harassment may also seek help from other relevant authorities, such as the police, bearing in mind the applicable legal framework.

A participant should never knowingly make a false or misleading claim about prohibited conduct.

 

Prohibition of retaliation

Threats, intimidation or any other form of retaliation against a participant who has made a complaint or provided information in support of a complaint are prohibited. WFF will take any reasonable appropriate action needed to prevent and respond to retaliation, in accordance with its applicable policy, regulations and rules.