WNU Code of Conduct 

WNU is committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, or religion. This code of conduct outlines our expectations for behaviour as well as the consequences for unacceptable behaviour. 

Purpose 

The WNU is committed to enabling events at which everyone can participate in an inclusive, respectful and safe environment. 

WNU events are guided by the highest ethical and professional standards, and all participants are expected to behave with integrity and respect towards everyone attending or involved with any WNU event. 

Applicability 

The Code of Conduct applies to all participants at any WNU event, which shall include the courses themselves, as well as any networking or cultural programme organized the WNU wherever it takes place.  It should also apply to your actions outside of our venue whilst attending a WNU programme – you are representing not only your own organisation, but also the WNU and the global nuclear industry.  

The WNU commits to implementing the Code of Conduct. 

The Code of Conduct is not legal or prescriptive in nature. It supplements, and does not affect, the application of other relevant policies, regulations, rules and laws, including laws regulating the premises in which the WNU event takes place and any applicable host country requirements.  

Expected Behaviour 

WNU requests all participants to  

• Be considerate and respectful 
• Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behaviour and speech. 
• Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow attendees.  
• Participate fully in the programme (certificates will not be awarded for less than 95% attendance, without prior agreement). 
• Dress appropriately  
• Show respect and consideration to the local laws and customs in our host country 
• Comply with the requests of the WNU team and the mentors 
• Adhere to acceptable internet, email, and social media usage policies.  Please don't share Fellow's faces or names on social media without explicit consent, or publicly share lectures, assessments, or educational resources online. Do feel free to share your impressions, lessons learned, and course certificate 
• Alert conference organizers if you notice a dangerous situation or someone in distress. 

Unacceptable behaviour 

Unacceptable behaviour includes but is not limited to: 

• Wearing clothing that is not suitable for a professional work environment, that is provocative, or otherwise potentially offensive. 
• Physical, written, verbal or other abuse, intimidation, threats, annoyance, harassment, stalking, pushing, shoving or use of any physical force whatsoever against any person, which in any way creates a disturbance that is disruptive or dangerous, or creates anxiety in a person. 
• Possession of any item that can be used as a weapon, and may cause danger to others. 
• Any boisterous, lewd or offensive behaviour or language, including but not limited to using sexually explicit or offensive language, materials or conduct, or any language, behaviour or content that contains profanity, obscene gestures, or racial, religious, gender, or ethnic slurs. 
• Drinking alcohol or being intoxicated during the core hours of the programme. Please drink responsibly. 
• Possession or use of any illegal substance.  WNU does not tolerate the use or abuse of illegal substances anywhere in the venue. 
• Intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory or demeaning conduct by any attendees of WNU and related events such as networking or cultural programmes. 

Harassment is any improper or unwelcome conduct that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation to another person. Harassment in any form because of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, physical ability, physical appearance, ethnicity, race, national origin, political affiliation, age, religion or any other reason is prohibited at WNU events. 

Sexual harassment is a specific type of prohibited conduct. Sexual harassment is any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offense or humiliation. Sexual harassment may involve any conduct of a verbal, nonverbal or physical nature, including written and electronic communications, and may occur between persons of the same or different genders. 

Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to: 

• Making derogatory or demeaning comments about someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity; 
• Name-calling or using slurs with a gender/sexual connotation; 
• Making sexual comments about appearance, clothing or body parts; 
• Rating a person’s sexuality; 
• Repeatedly asking a person for dates or asking for sex; 
• Staring in a sexually suggestive manner; 
• Unwelcome touching, including pinching, patting, rubbing or purposefully brushing up against a person; 
• Making inappropriate sexual gestures, such as pelvic thrusts; 
• Sharing sexual or lewd anecdotes or jokes; 
• Sending sexually suggestive communications in any format; 
• Sharing or displaying sexually inappropriate images or videos in any format; 
• Attempted or actual sexual assault, including rape.  

What to do if you witness or are a victim of unacceptable behaviour  

If you feel that you have been subjected to unacceptable behaviour, notice that someone else is being subjected to unacceptable behaviour, or have any other concerns during the event, please notify a member of the WNU team as soon as possible. Reports will be handled as confidentially as possible and shared only where necessary to investigate, keep people safe, or meet legal obligations.  

The WNU team will be available to help participants contact venue security or local law enforcement, or to otherwise assist those experiencing unacceptable behaviour to feel safe for the duration of the conference. You can report unacceptable behaviour to any member of the Team, including your mentor, or you may email the WNU Director, Isis Leslie, directly, contact details below. 

The WNU will be expected to take appropriate action in accordance with applicable policies, regulations and rules. 

Consequences of unacceptable behaviour 

WNU will take appropriate action in line with the WNU Programme Terms and Conditions and other applicable policies. Depending on the seriousness of the behaviour, this may include, but is not limited to: 

• undertaking a fact-finding exercise; 
• asking the person concerned to stop the behaviour immediately; 
• excluding the person from specific activities, venues or Technical Visits; 
• removing the person from the Programme, which in cases of serious or repeated misconduct may be immediate; 
• making the person ineligible for graduation or a certificate; 
• notifying the person’s Sponsor or employer; 
• reporting the matter to the police or any other authority with jurisdiction; 
• refusing future applications to WNU programmes. 

Where a participant is removed from the Programme or is not awarded a certificate because of misconduct, no refund of Tuition Fees will be given, except at WNU’s discretion.  

The victim of alleged harassment may also seek help from other relevant authorities, such as the police, bearing in mind the applicable legal framework. 

A participant should never knowingly make a false or misleading claim about prohibited conduct. 

Prohibition of retaliation 

Threats, intimidation or any other form of retaliation against a participant who has made a complaint or provided information in support of a complaint are prohibited.