The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct establishes the general principles of the LEARN Program's professional conduct. Anyone working for or with the LEARN Program is personally obliged to adhere to the rules and principles set out in this Code. As Annex, the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct becomes a vit part of the work contract and demonstrates the adherence to fundamental principles that guide professional conduct by the staff.

This Code applies to:

• LEARN staff members, the employees who are members of the LEARN unit,
• anyone working for or within an organization that has signed a formal Agreement, Memorandum of Understanding, or similar document.
• anyone who interacts with LEARN and benefits monetarily or non-monetarily; specifically,
• anyone who attends LEARN organized or funded events.
• anyone who has signed this Code.

Each afore-mentioned party is individually referred to as 'parties' in the following sections.

The parties must comply with the rules and principles set out in this Code. Failure to follow this Code may result in disciplinary action. Furthermore, violations of this Code may also be violations of the law and may result in severe civil or criminal penalties for the parties.

LEARN and the Parties hire and cooperate with well-suited professionals for the program, based on their background and experience.

• LEARN and the Parties honor the rights of individuals within the team and the partners to celebrate their culture and customs to the extent that it does not inappropriately undermine the team's morale and mission.
• LEARN and the parties do not make use of child labor or demand illegal overtime. LEARN and the parties do not discriminate based on gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, or any other arbitrary grounds.
• LEARN and the parties provides a working environment that creates and fosters professional development opportunities.
• LEARN and the parties respect and support cultural diversity, open and honest team co-operation, and an environment free from intimidation and harassment.

Any behavior that goes against the outlined high standard of ethics and professional practice should be identified, discussed, and prevented.

• LEARN and the parties provide the highest possible safety, health, and security levels for all parties involved by preventing risks to persons, the environment, and property.
• LEARN and the parties do not participate in projects or programs that require unsustainable overwork or harmful working conditions.
• LEARN and the parties ensure the undersigned party has a safe working environment.

The parties must protect LEARN's, any other organizations', or any other individual property against any improper handling such as carelessness, waste, or destruction, as well as against theft. Any suspected case of theft must be reported directly to the LEARN management.

LEARN prohibits soliciting or offering any gift, personal benefit, or unjustified advantage to third parties. Gifts, hospitality, and entertainment are often a common and socially acceptable form of behavior. However, in some cases, they could be suspected or misinterpreted as a form of bribery. Therefore, the following rules apply for gift-giving and receiving:

The parties may only accept or offer an unsolicited non-monetary gift if the following conditions are fulfilled:

• the gift does not go beyond common courtesy and is accepted by local practices;
• the value of the gift does not imply any obligation on the part of the recipient;
• the gift is appropriate for the recipient.

The parties may accept or offer unsolicited entertainment if all the following requirements are met:

• the entertainment occurs infrequently;
• it involves reasonable expenditures.

All parties as defined under this Code must refrain from accepting or offering any gift or entertainment that does not meet such conditions. In cases of doubt, prior permission for the gift must be obtained from the LEARN management.

Improper payments

• An improper payment to gain an advantage in any situation is never acceptable and exposes the parties to possible criminal prosecution.
• LEARN expressly prohibits all sorts of improper payments, whether to public officials or private persons, active or passive.
• The parties are strictly prohibited from either offering, paying, giving, or otherwise transferring any funds or assets, directly or indirectly to someone in a public office or a person having political influence, to someone applying for a public office, to a political party or any other third party, to obtain or retain an improper advantage or otherwise securing or retaining business.
• Not all bribery takes the form of cash payments. Alternatively, it can take the form of gifts, travel, entertainment, or any other undue advantage. The prohibition further applies to any contribution or payments made through consultants, suppliers, or other third parties on LEARN’s behalf. Third parties engaged by LEARN will be carefully supervised.
• Violations of the anti-bribery laws can lead to costly enforcement actions and harsh criminal penalties against LEARN and the individuals involved. The parties found guilty of bribery possibly faces imprisonment. 
• The parties must familiarize themselves with all applicable anti-corruption laws and conduct LEARN-related activities in strict compliance with these laws.
• Extreme caution must be taken when choosing partners, representatives, consultants, and agents.
• Any transaction that could appear to be illegal or unethical should be rejected.
• Any suspicion that a violation of any applicable anti-bribery law has happened and any request for payment by or for government officials should be immediately reported to the LEARN management.

Facilitation Payments

Facilitation payments are small payments made to lower-level governmental employees to secure the performance of a routine government action. LEARN prohibits Facilitation Payments as these are bribes and illegal. However, if the parties believes that their own or others' life or health may be in danger, making a payment is not a violation of this prohibition. Such payments must always be correctly recorded and immediately reported to the LEARN Management.

A conflict of interest exists when a LEARN or Party’s position is used for personal gain, aside from the normal compensatory rewards of employment. The parties are required to maintain high ethical standards while handling conflicts of interest. As a basic rule, situations, where the parties’ personal interest could conflict with LEARN's interests must be avoided. Whenever a relationship could create such a conflict of interest, the LEARN management must immediately be informed.

The parties are not allowed (neither during nor after the employment; engagement; or collaboration with LEARN) to disclose any confidential or proprietary information received during their interaction with LEARN to anyone not employed by LEARN. Confidential or proprietary information may only be disclosed to a third party upon respective written authorization given by the LEARN management or if the disclosure is required by law.