LYON, France — International NGO Hope for Justice has been confirmed as the first aid-sector organization to implement safeguarding checks using a dedicated channel under INTERPOL’s Project Soteria, during a visit to the world police body’s headquarters to mark the progress of operational cooperation.
Project Soteria provides aid organizations with a dedicated channel to deter and identify perpetrators of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH).
As humanitarian and development organizations increasingly operate across borders, recruitment processes can present opportunities for offenders to move between roles and countries without detection.
Project Soteria was established to address this gap by strengthening information exchange between the aid sector and law enforcement, while ensuring that all checks are conducted in accordance with international data protection and human rights standards.
Following a 2024 cooperation agreement between INTERPOL and Hope for Justice, the first pilot checks were conducted in May 2025, allowing the INGO to upload selected candidates’ information through a secure platform that is checked by INTERPOL criminal intelligence analysts against its databases and member country networks.
Elaine Jones, Chief Operating Officer at Hope for Justice, said:
“We are determined to protect vulnerable people, including adult survivors of human trafficking as well as the children at our safe shelters, which we call Lighthouses. Many of these children have already lived through exploitation or abuse. When they come to us, they deserve safety. They deserve care. And they deserve absolute certainty that they are protected from further harm. That is why safe recruitment is not just an administrative process for us: it is a safeguarding responsibility. We are proud to partner with INTERPOL to add this powerful new layer of protection.”
Neil Wain, Senior Security and Safeguarding Advisor at Hope for Justice, said:
“As an organization that actively supports survivors of abuse and exploitation who have been subjected to modern slavery and human trafficking, Hope for Justice is well aware of the ways that perpetrators seek to gain access to victims by positioning themselves in humanitarian or aid sector roles. By conducting employment checks against Project Soteria’s secure platform, we are strengthening our existing safeguarding measures and improving our response to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. This reflects our zero-tolerance approach to these issues and our commitment to taking practical action.”
David Caunter, Director of Organized and Emerging Crime at INTERPOL, said:
“This milestone demonstrates how strong partnerships between law enforcement and the aid sector can close the gaps that offenders seek to exploit. By working together through Project Soteria, we are strengthening prevention, supporting safer recruitment practices, and helping ensure that those who work with vulnerable communities meet the highest standards of integrity.”
Note to Editors
Project Soteria, implemented by INTERPOL with funding from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), supports organizations in strengthening safeguarding measures while also enhancing law enforcement capacity to investigate sexual exploitation, abuse and gender-based violence across borders.
Hope for Justice works internationally to combat modern slavery and human trafficking through survivor support, prevention programmes, training, and policy reform. The organization operates across the UK, United States, Ethiopia, Uganda and Australia.
