Working internationally

Safeguarding children and adults at risk in international contexts can present unique challenges due to geographical distance and differences in systems and cultures. Ensuring safe environments is essential regardless of location and is a requirement set by UK Charity Regulators.

Many UK-based organisations operate or actively support projects overseas and internationally e.g. long-term missionary work, financial support of local initiatives or projects, annual short-term team visits. 

Safeguarding across national borders can be complex due to:

• Different laws and cultural views - Each country has its own rules and beliefs about safety, and understanding them can be difficult.
• Different languages - can create barriers and in some cases challenges in translating terms or safeguarding terminology.
• Statutory services - Police or social services may work differently than in the UK, with different roles or less funding.
• Practical barriers - UK safeguarding often relies on written materials, but in some places, low literacy, long distances, or limited access to training and technology can make this harder.
• Power imbalances - People who rely on a project’s services may feel unable to speak up if something is wrong.

This can mean: 

• People seeking to exploit others may be drawn to international work.
• It's more difficult for organisations to spot when something is wrong.
• Harm can go unnoticed for a long time. 
• Protecting someone after a concern is raised is more complicated.

Charity rules in the UK say that organisations must keep people just as safe in other countries as they would in the UK. They also need to follow the safety laws and customs of the country where the project is happening. 

UK based organisations working overseas should have: 

• A safeguarding policy developed with and by local agencies and partners - based on the local laws of the country in which the organisation is operating, as well as international law. This should be available in a format that the project participants are able to understand and interact with.
• Procedures for the safer recruitment of workers - including for local people from within the country the project operates in, and for those coming to the country from the UK and other countries even for short-term work.
• A clear process for reporting safeguarding concerns - both to a designated local contact within the project area and to a safeguarding lead at the organisation’s UK headquarters. This process should be communicated to everyone involved in a way that everyone can understand.

Two important documents are the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). These set out basic rights that apply to everyone, everywhere - like the right to be safe, respected, and treated fairly.

Things to consider

You should learn about the local laws in the country where the project is based e.g. the legal age of consent; the legal age for marriage, and whether it’s different for boys and girls; any regional or federal laws that might apply; and who to report concerns or abuse to in that country.

The safety of children, young people and adults at risk must take priority where allegations are made, and your organisation should be satisfied that action has been taken to prevent further abuse.

It’s important to work with local leaders and authorities to help keep people safe, but you must never let someone stay in a dangerous situation just to follow local rules.

When a report is made to the local authority you should continue to manage any ongoing risks to ensure the safety of those involved. This may include providing ongoing support to victim-survivors.  

There may be times where a report to the local authorities could put the victim and the alleged perpetrator, or other workers, at risk. This should be considered and covered within your safeguarding policy, but it’s not an excuse for not reporting abuse to the local authorities. 

If local authorities in the country you're working in don’t take action, your organisation still has a responsibility to respond. If formal investigation isn’t possible through local services, your organisation should have a plan to arrange an independent investigation by someone outside the project who is fair and impartial.