Project Soteria

Project Soteria

Phase 1 timeframe: May 2021 to April 2026

Budget: Up to EUR 9.6 million (£8.25 million)

Donor: United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

The situation

Perpetrators of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) have exploited their positions in the aid sector, harming the very people they are meant to protect and assist, with so far, limited chances of being identified.

Aid organizations employ highly mobile international and national staff to work in fragile environments. These individuals deliver crucial development and humanitarian assistance to people living in crisis-affected or disadvantaged situations and marginalized communities, ensuring that no one gets left behind.

The globalized nature of aid work, combined with the urgency of fast recruitment and deployment, make it hard for organizations to conduct thorough screening of staff during recruitment processes. Without full awareness, effective detection mechanisms, reporting and communication channels, sexual offenders can continue operating within the sector, putting at risk children and adults living in situations of displacement, poverty, or other forms of marginalization.

Project aims

Project Soteria brings law enforcement as well as large and small aid sector organizations together to:
•    Prevent sexual offenders from using their positions to access and offend against children and vulnerable adults.
•    Improve the law enforcement response to Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), including SEAH, with a victim-centric and ‘do no harm’ approach.
•    Strengthen the capacity of law enforcement to leverage the full range of INTERPOL’s global policing tools – from INTERPOL Notices to a dedicated crime analysis file.
•    Assist law enforcement agencies to increase awareness of SEAH and maintain criminal records.
•    Prevent and detect cases of SEAH by facilitating information exchange and enhancing recruitment mechanisms that help detect past offenders and deter potential offenders.
•    Strengthen aid sector organizations’ ability to investigate misconduct related to SEAH.

Soteria seeks to build on and complement other initiatives which aim to improve safeguarding in the international aid and development sector, including through the Core Humanitarian Standard Alliance (CHSA), the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, the Common Approach to Protection from SEAH (CAPSEAH) and other projects.

Dedicated security check for aid sector

Project Soteria offers aid organizations a dedicated channel to deter and identify perpetrators of SEAH during the recruitment phase.

The Threat Identification Scheme (TIS) and the INTERPOL Substantiated Misconduct Referral Mechanism (SMRM) work together to receive and share data from participating aid organizations. 

Participating organizations can upload selected candidates' information through a secure platform that is checked by INTERPOL criminal intelligence analysts against its databases and member country networks. 

If a threat is identified, INTERPOL notifies the relevant national law enforcement agencies, and wherever legally possible, the aid organization will be informed.

INTERPOL’s mandate

As the world's largest international police organization, INTERPOL provides a vast network of law enforcement agencies and expertise. 

Our experience in investigating and combating transnational crimes, including human trafficking, child exploitation, and other forms of sexual abuse can support aid organizations in investigating and responding to SEAH cases. 

Tools such as INTERPOL Notices, including Red Notices for persons wanted internationally, and access to global databases on criminal records, biometric data, and travel documents further enhance its ability to support investigations.

INTERPOL maintains partnerships with a range of organizations, including the United Nations and non-governmental organization (NGOs), to ensure coordinated action.

Project activities

Project Soteria delivers the following training sessions to member countries and organizations working to deliver aid:

Training of Trainers on the use of INTERPOL tools in the context of sexual crimes

This training, for officers from police colleges, specialized units, and INTERPOL National Central Bureaus (NCBs) ensures knowledge cascades within the police force, bringing sustainability and long-term impact.

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Training on SGBV investigation techniques

This training aims to build the capacity of specialized units to conduct effective investigations into sexual crimes, equipping them with the latest techniques. Importance is placed on sharing high-quality data to foster international police cooperation in combating sexual offences.

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Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

These sessions are held in collaboration with The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Organization for Migration. Aimed at officers working in and around refugee settlements and camps, participants are trained to detect, recognize, prevent, and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse with a victim-centred approach.

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Safe and Ethical Use of Internet Searches for Safer Recruitment in Aid Organizations

These virtual and in-person sessions target human resources professionals working with NGOs and private sector organizations, as recruitment is the primary gateway for potential staff or volunteers in the aid sector. The project aims to equip professionals with the tools to effectively research open-source information on candidates.

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Safer recruitment workshops

The project explores the screening and vetting procedures used by aid agencies when recruiting new staff and volunteers. Additionally, participants are given information on the Soteria security check mechanism as a complementary tool to existing recruitment and safeguarding systems.

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Integrated Border Management Task Force (IBMTF) and Policing Capabilities Programme (IPCP)

This course, delivered in collaboration with INTERPOL’s Integrated Border Management Taskforce (IBMTF) and Command and Coordination Centre (CCC), provides operational training for border officials to enhance border security and address transnational sexual crimes. INTERPOL’s policing capabilities and their application in sexual crime investigations are also presented to NCB officials and relevant specialized units.

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Developing foundational skills in internal investigations

During in-country visits by the project team, many aid organizations highlighted a critical gap in their ability to run victim-centric internal investigations. Soteria works with the CHSA to deliver accredited training in internal investigations. So far, more than 60 aid workers have taken part in these training sessions.

Contact

We continue to invite organizations worldwide involved in aid delivery programmes to participate. For further information regarding Soteria and details on how to get involved please contact us via the form below.