CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT
1. INTRODUCTION
The Code of Ethics and Conduct (from here on referred to as: “Code”) is an official Jouzour Loubnan Association (hereafter “Jouzour Loubnan”) document which contains principles and rules of conduct to be followed by anyone who works or deals with Jouzour Loubnan, such as partners, donors, beneficiaries.
The purpose of the present code is to declare and disseminate the values and rules of conduct that Jouzour Loubnan intends to maintain as a reference during its activities.
The present code is binding and must be met by all staff members: this includes anyone who conducts activities on behalf of Jouzour Loubnan, anyone who fulfils roles of representation, administration or management of Jouzour Loubnan, as well as collaborators and external consultants operating in the interest of Jouzour Loubnan.
Control over the compliance with the present Code is exercised by the President and / or the Vice-President of Jouzour Loubnan. They may propose changes to the Code to stay up-to-date with new laws and with potential new activities.
The present Code was adopted by Jouzour Loubnan on January 2024 with immediate effect.
This Code of Ethics is not aimed at merely controlling the behavior required of each individual person, but intends to provide the directives and reasons for the action of all staff and all stakeholders. These directives are rooted in the genes of Jouzour Loubnan which give form and substance to the work of Jouzour Loubnan in all its dimensions, including rules, regulations and policies.
2. GENERAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
Jouzour Loubnan is a non-profit organization founded in 2008, involved and operating in Lebanon mainly in the reforestation, agroforestry, agroecology and other environment fields.
Jouzour Loubnan’s method is summarized in the following basic points, which represent the criteria according to which Jouzour Loubnan works in the realization of its projects:
- To execute projects that bring value to people, communities, Lebanon and the environment at large;
- To leverage scientific knowledge and other worldwide experiences;
- To learn from its own experience and capitalize on the lessons learned.
- To share its experience and lessons learned;
- To spread awareness and lobby about the strategic importance environment, agroecology and agroforestry;
- To involve all stakeholders: encourage the participation of beneficiaries, volunteers, providers, partners, donors, and the private sector;
Our general ethical principles through which Jouzour Loubnan intends to achieve its mission are the following:
- Honesty;
- Loyalty;
- Fairness;
- Non-discrimination;
- Transparency;
- Quality;
- Responsibility.
3. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF CONDUCT
The general principles stated hereabove, which orient the work of Jouzour Loubnan, are elaborated in further detail in the following ethical principles of conduct. These will guide Jouzour Loubnan staff members towards more professional, moral and fair management.
3.1. Legality
Jouzour Loubnan's inescapable principle is respect of law and regulations in force. Employees, collaborators, providers, partners, donors and anyone who deals with Jouzour Loubnan must commit themselves to this principle. Jouzour Loubnan will not establish or maintain any relation with anyone who does not abide by this principle.
Jouzour Loubnan clearly states that no-one can violate the law by arguing that he does so in the interest of Jouzour Loubnan, as what is against the law is against Jouzour Loubnan.
3.2. Equality and non-discrimination
Jouzour Loubnan will not favor, either directly or indirectly, any form of discrimination based on gender, age, religion, political affiliation or health conditions.
3.3. Dutifulness
Jouzour Loubnan will respect its employees and require them to always act with attention and accuracy in their work, through the best use of available resources and by avoiding undue burdens and waste of resources with full respect to Jouzour Loubnan rules, regulations and policies.
Jouzour Loubnan will constantly provide training and development programs in order to increase professionalism of staff at different levels and improve their professional and management skills.
3.4. Honesty
Jouzour Loubnan requires its employees, partners, collaborators not to pursue any personal or company's benefit, against the law in force and the rules contained in the Code. They are likewise required, not to do any actions that go against what common sense deems correct.
3.5. Transparency
The Jouzour Loubnan ensures and maintain as much transparency as possible in its activities: every operation and transaction are accurately recorded, authorized, verifiable, lawful, consistent and reasonable, according to the law in force and internal regulations.
Bribery, corruption and complicity in such wrongdoing are prohibited. Anyone who has any relation with Jouzour Loubnan must be provided with complete and accurate information on the activities they have to do.
In particular, all accounting must be adequately reported so that it is possible to assess the actual financial performance of Jouzour Loubnan and monitor a not-for-profit conduct, in compliance with Jouzour Loubnan's Statute.
The subjects who have relationships with Jouzour Loubnan must be placed in the condition of having complete and precise information on the activities that concern them.
Regarding in particular the beneficiaries of its activities, whether they are individuals or institutions, Jouzour Loubnan will put in place all possible initiative thus to give them the opportunity to fully understand the reasons and the criteria applied in the actions, the effects of such actions on their life. This fosters a sense of ownership and encourages their active participation as protagonists in the process.
3.6. Equality and impartiality
Jouzour Loubnan will act with equality and impartiality and provide equal treatment to any individual or institution it deals with, maintaining adequate distinction between the different roles of the subjects.
Jouzour Loubnan requires objectivity and fairness on the part of its employees and collaborators in their work and in the judgments that they express, regardless of any personal relationship (family or otherwise).
3.7. Protection of privacy and confidentiality
The Jouzour Loubnan ensures compliance with laws on privacy and confidentiality. Data protection and data security are also guaranteed at all times according to the Lebanese General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR.
All personal and sensitive data are processed in a lawful and fair way, thus preventing third parties from accessing them.
3.8. Absence of conflict of interest
Through the course of their activities, employees and collaborators must avoid situations in which they may have or seem to have a conflict of interest.
A conflict of interest occurs when a person to whom the present Code of Ethics applies, pursues an interest other than Jouzour Loubnan's mission or engages in activities that may interfere with their ability to make decisions in the sole interest of Jouzour Loubnan.
Just as an example, a conflict of interest occurs in the following situations:
- Direct and indirect ownership of shareholding or financial interests in supplier, competitor and client companies;
- Acceptance of positions of any kind at supplier, donor or partner companies.
In case of conflict of interest, the employee to whom the present Code of Ethics applies must immediately inform the President of Jouzour Loubnan.
3.9. Sustainable Development
Jouzour Loubnan respects the principle of sustainable development and fosters a fair social environment.
Furthermore, Jouzour Loubnan protects the environment as a primary asset and aims to ensure compatibility between projects and environmental necessities by encouraging the use of environmentally friendly technologies.
4. RULES OF CONDUCT FOR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS
The rules of conduct, deriving from the general ethical principles and the ethical principles of conduct regulate the relations within and between:
- Donors;
- Partners;
- Suppliers;
- Employees/collaborators/volunteers;
- Beneficiaries;
- Press and media;
- Auditors;
- Public Administrations.
4.1. Relations with Donors
Transparency and fairness are ensured through relations with donors. To this end:
- It is prohibited to give, offer or promise any money or other non-cash benefit;
- It is prohibited to exercise undue pressure;
- It is prohibited to submit untruthful statements with the purpose of receiving funds or benefits;
- Accounting procedures must clearly identify donations as well as their sources;
- It is prohibited to use money received as donation for any purpose other than the ones for which it was originally donated;
- The funds must be used in such a way that operational costs are kept to a minimum and as many resources as possible are allocated to the beneficiaries;
- Activities must ensure productive employment of facilities, economic resources and local staff with the purpose of reaching a concrete and lasting development in the country.
Jouzour Loubnan will reject any donation in materials, money, services from companies that manifestly violate human rights, the rights of workers or the environment, that produce or trade weapons, pornographic material or any other material that would degrade the human person and the environment.
4.2. Relations with Partners
The choice of Partners (bodies or associations) for the implementation of common projects and activities is based on and inspired by the sharing of the same ethical principles contained in Jouzour Loubnan's Code of Ethics.
4.3. Relations with Suppliers
When choosing its suppliers, Jouzour Loubnan:
- Favors technical and economic subjects where a decent quality of goods, labor and services is maintained;
- Appoints a subject in accordance with tender procedures for goods, works and services, based on objective evaluations and in full compliance with the standards of free competition, quality and low price;
- Demands respect for laws, ethical clauses and rules dictated by Jouzour Loubnan.
4.4. Relations with Employees, Collaborators AND Volunteers
Jouzour Loubnan's main asset is its human resources; Jouzour Loubnan promotes their skills, aspirations and professionalism.
Relations with employees, collaborators and volunteers must be conducted with maximum respect and must be based on a codified set of rights and duties.
In particular:
Duties of Jouzour Loubnan
- Treat all individuals with respect and dignity, regardless of their background, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or any other personal characteristic;
- Foster an inclusive and collaborative working environment;
- Offering everyone equal opportunities of professional development, with no discrimination based on gender, age, disability, religion, or political affiliation;
- Observing the principles contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the European Convention on Human Rights, in the Declaration of Rights of the Child and in the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women;
- Complying with the international standards on working conditions and workers' rights, of which we can mention: freedom of expression, of association, the right to collective bargaining, abolition of forced labor, equality of opportunity and treatment and other standards set by the International Labor Organization (ILO);
- Ensuring adequate and functional work environment;
- Avoiding any form of discrimination, sexual harassment, exploitation or abuse;
- All decisions related to human resources to be made according to merit and ability;
- Rejecting any form of irregular work, forced labor or exploitation;
- Pursuing constant improvement of everyone's skills, by favoring training and development opportunities and perfecting operational methods and strategies;
- Acknowledging everyone's skills and contributions to the common goal;
- Ensuring professional conduct, circulation and adherence to policies and procedures;
- Ensuring privacy and upholding confidentiality in all dealings with sensitive information;
- Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations concerning health protection and work safety;
- Providing adequate information on life and safety conditions as well as on sanitary prevention practices to be followed.
Duties of Employees
- Maintain professional conduct at all times, adhering to ethical standards;
- Use organizational resources responsibly and for intended purposes.
- Observing the fundamental rights of the person and avoiding any form of discrimination;
- Avoid discriminatory or offensive language and behaviour;
- Behaving and dressing with decency, showing respect for local colleagues, partners, habits, cultures and religions within the dignity of one's role and in accordance with the principles of Jouzour Loubnan;
- Employing Jouzour Loubnan's goods in a fair way;
- Showing respect for work environment and premises;
- Reporting any conflict of interest that may arise in the course of one's work;
- Reporting any suspected or witnessed incidents of sexual exploitation or sexual abuse promptly and according to established procedures.
Staff are prohibited to:
- Participate in military operations and the like;
- Own and carry weapons on Jouzour Loubnan vehicles and premises and during work missions;
- Act in a way that damages Jouzour Loubnan or its image;
- Employ underage workers;
- Use psychotropic substances;
- Act in a violent/abusive manner through threat, oppression or psychological harassment which offend dignity and psychophysical integrity of lower-level colleagues or which degrade the work environment;
- Exercise any form of harassment;
- Effect payments and transactions in an unfair way and against the anti-money-laundering laws.
Jouzour Loubnan is committed to creating a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved in its work. We believe that everyone deserves to work and participate in their communities free from the threat of exploitation and abuse.
4.5. Relations with Beneficiaries
Beneficiaries must be fully informed on the ethical principles that inspire the collaborators and partners, as well as on the activities, donors and resources used in the activities that affect them.
4.6. Relations with the Press and Media
Outbound communications must be truthful, verifiable, not aggressive and respectful of the rights and the dignity of the person.
4.7. Relations with Auditors
Relations with auditors must be conducted rapidly, fairly and with transparency. Auditors must be provided full cooperation and obstructionism must be avoided.
It is prohibited to conceal information, provide untruthful documents and obstructing the auditors in the performance of their duties.
4.8. Relations with the Public Administration and Judicial Officers
Relations with the Public Administration, including Supervisory Agencies, must be managed by with transparency, fairness, completeness and traceability.
Jouzour Loubnan commits itself to:
- Not receiving any funds or contributions from the Public Administration by means of false and untruthful declarations or by omitting due information;
- Not using funds or contributions for any purpose other than the ones for which they were originally given;
- Not pursuing any other benefit by defrauding the Public Administration.
As far as relations with judicial officers are concerned, it is prohibited to exercises any form of pressure on the person called to testify with the purpose of preventing such testimony or making it untruthful.
It is prohibited to help a person who has carried out an act of legal significance to avoid the investigation of the authorities, or to escape their investigations.
5. RULES ON THE APPLICATION AND VIOLATION OF THE CODE
5.1. Adoption and circulation
The board of Jouzour Loubnan is the sole internal body that can adopt and modify the Code.
The Code is made available to all the employees and circulated to all key stakeholders; it is also available on Jouzour Loubnan's website: www.jouzourloubnan.org.
5.2. Field of application
The principles of this Code apply to everyone who works with Jouzour Loubnan: administrators, auditors, managers, employees, collaborators, partners, suppliers, donors and beneficiaries.
5.3. Supervision
The President is in charge of promoting and monitoring the compliance with the Code of Ethics. In particular, the President:
- Promotes the implementation of the Code through ad hoc procedures;
- Proposes changes to the Code;
- Examines reported violations and submits the outcomes of such inquiries to the body in charge.
5.4. Violations
Compliance with the Code of Ethics is part of the contractual obligations of anyone who works with Jouzour Loubnan.
All individuals are encouraged to report any violations of this Code of Conduct.
In case a violation of the Code of Ethics is confirmed, and in case they are employees, Jouzour Loubnan must prosecute those responsible for the violations, according to the contract in force; in case they are external subjects, it must resort to all necessary/appropriate measures in order to prevent such violation from ever happening again. Measures can include dismissal or interruption of commercial/professional activities with a supplier/collaborator, with consequent mandatory compensation.
Suspected violations of the Code of Ethics must be reported to one of these focal points directly or anonymously:
Mr. Farid Maalouf farid_maalouf@hotmail.com Mobile: 03 204 192
Address: Maalouf building Ground Floor, Chmiss Street, Achkout, Keserwan, Lebanon
Mrs. Maya Wakim mayawakim15@gmail.com Mobile: 03 677 279
Address: Imm Chawkat Khodr, 6e étage, Rue Khalil Ksseib, Sioufi, Achrafieh, Beirut, Lebanon
Or to the President of Jouzour Loubnan:
Jouzour Loubnan - Rehban Building, 7th floor
Adib Ishak Street, Beirut, Lebanon
or by e-mail to:
Jouzour Loubnan monitors the compliance with the Code of Ethics, through adequate means of information, prevention and control and ensuring transparency of activities and conduct, and it implements correctional measures if deemed appropriate.
The Code of Ethics is integral part of the Model of Organization, Management and Control adopted by Jouzour Loubnan.