Background

As part of the summit’s DEI, Inclusion, and Accessibility commitments, The Commons Co has made deliberate provision to ensure nursing mothers and women attending with children are not left out of the summit experience. This includes a staffed mini crèche available throughout the Physical Hub for the duration of the summit. Alongside this provision, we have developed this Child Safeguarding and Code of Conduct Policy as an added step to ensure the safety and wellbeing of every child present at the summit, whether in the crèche, accompanying a parent or guardian, or participating in youth programming. We are currently in discussions with local authorities in Lagos to ensure maximum security coordination for the summit as a whole.

1. Purpose and Scope

This policy sets out the commitment of The Commons Co during the OpenGov Africa Summit to protecting children and vulnerable young people from harm, exploitation, and abuse, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the child safeguarding standards expected by institutional partners including UN agencies.

This policy applies to:

• All staff, contractors, and volunteers of The Commons Co
• All speakers, panelists, and delegates accredited to the summit
• All vendors and service providers operating within the Physical Hub, including the staffed mini crèche and any youth-facing programming
• All partner organizations and sponsors engaging with summit activities involving minors

2. Guiding Principles

• The best interests of the child are the primary consideration in all summit planning and operations.
• Every child engaging with the summit, whether as a visitor, a participant in youth programming, or a child of an attendee using the crèche, has the right to protection from harm regardless of race, gender, disability, nationality, or religion.
• Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Any person present at the summit who observes or suspects harm to a child has a duty to report it.
• Prevention is prioritized over response. Physical layout, staffing ratios, and accreditation procedures are designed to minimize risk before incidents can occur.

3. Code of Conduct for Staff, Volunteers, and Contractors

All individuals covered by this policy agree to:

• Never be alone with a child in an unsupervised or unobserved setting, including in the crèche, restrooms, or backstage areas.
• Never use language, take photographs, or make physical contact with a child that could be perceived as inappropriate.
• Never share personal contact information with a child attending the summit or communicate with them outside of official summit channels.
• Report immediately any concern, disclosure, or suspicion of harm to the designated Safeguarding Focal Point, using the reporting procedure in Section 5.
• Complete a safeguarding briefing prior to accreditation if their role involves proximity to the crèche, youth programming, or general floor access on Community Day.

Any breach of this Code of Conduct will result in immediate removal of accreditation and may be reported to relevant authorities.

4. Specific Provisions for Summit Operations

4.1 Mini Crèche

• Staffed at all times by a minimum of [5] vetted childcare personnel per [15] children.
• All crèche staff undergo a background check or reference verification prior to the summit, coordinated by [Partner School to be announced].
• Crèche access restricted to registered parents or guardians who present matching accreditation.
• No photography permitted inside the crèche without explicit written parental consent.

4.2 General Physical Hub Access

• Given the estimated scale of thousands of physical guests per day, entry points will have visible signage on child safety and a designated help point staffed by a Safeguarding Focal Point.
• Any unaccompanied minor identified on-site will be brought to the designated help point and a guardian located before any further action is taken.

4.3 Media and Photography

• Summit photographers and media partners will be briefed not to photograph children without guardian consent.
• Any summit-produced content featuring children will only be published with signed parental or guardian consent on file.

4.4 Speakers, Panels, and Youth Engagement

• Where youth speakers or youth panels are part of programming, a designated adult chaperone accompanies the young person at all times while on summit premises.
• Youth speakers under 18 require signed parental or guardian consent prior to accreditation.

5. Reporting Procedure

Any concern, disclosure, or observation of possible harm to a child must be reported immediately, following these steps:

1. Ensure the immediate safety of the child. Do not attempt to investigate or question the child yourself.
2. Report the concern as soon as possible, and within 24 hours at the latest, to the Safeguarding Focal Point: [NAME, ROLE, CONTACT DETAILS WILL BE SHARED AS TIME GOES ON].
3. The Safeguarding Focal Point will document the report and determine next steps, which may include contacting local child protection authorities in Lagos, Nigeria.
4. Confidentiality will be maintained on a need to know basis, in the best interest of the child.
5. No staff member, volunteer, contractor, or partner will face retaliation for reporting a genuine concern in good faith.

6. Screening and Accountability

• All personnel with direct or unsupervised access to children (crèche staff, youth program facilitators) will undergo identity verification and reference checks prior to accreditation.
• The Commons Co maintains a record of all accredited personnel with child-facing roles for the duration of the summit and for [5] months afterward.
• This policy will be reviewed after each summit edition and updated to reflect lessons learned.

7. Alignment with Partner Standards

This policy is designed to align with the child safeguarding expectations of institutional partners, including UNICEF's core commitments to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse and to protect children in all program and partnership contexts. The Commons Co welcomes review and feedback from prospective partners on strengthening this policy ahead of the summit.