SWB’s Child Protection Policy

1. Our Commitment

Sailors Without Borders (SWB) is committed to the protection of all children we engage with in the course of our humanitarian work. We believe that every child has the right to be safe, to be heard, and to be protected from all forms of abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Child protection is not a secondary concern — it is a core obligation that applies to all SWB staff, volunteers, contractors, and partners without exception.
This policy is mandatory for all individuals acting on behalf of SWB, regardless of role, seniority, or location of work.

2. Definition of a Child

For the purposes of this policy, a child is any person who has not reached their 18th birthday, as defined by Article 1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989). This definition applies irrespective of the age of majority in the country where the child is present or their country of origin.

3. Guiding Principles

SWB’s Child Protection Policy is grounded in the following principles:

• The best interests of the child are paramount in all decisions and actions.
• All children, regardless of age, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability, or legal status, have equal rights to protection.
• Child protection is the responsibility of every member of SWB, not solely of designated focal points.
• SWB maintains a zero-tolerance policy for any form of child abuse, exploitation, or neglect by its personnel or partners.
• Children and their families are treated with dignity and respect at all times.
• Information relating to child protection concerns is handled with discretion and shared only on a need-to-know basis.

4. How We Protect Children

SWB protects children through the following measures:

4.1 Recruitment and Vetting

All staff and volunteers who work with or near children are subject to appropriate background checks before commencing work. References are verified. Any history of conduct incompatible with this policy is grounds for disqualification.

4.2 Training

All field staff and volunteers complete mandatory training on this Child Protection Policy and on context-specific child protection protocols before deployment. Refresher training is conducted annually. New staff and volunteers are trained and must sign a commitment to comply with this policy before beginning fieldwork.

4.3 Project-Level Protocols

Every SWB project or operation that involves contact with children is required to have a child protection protocol specific to that context. Each protocol includes: applicable local laws on child abuse and neglect; mandatory reporting procedures required by local law; a list of local authorities to whom child protection concerns must be reported; and partner organisations that can provide appropriate support services to affected children.

4.4 Safe Behaviour Standards

All SWB personnel are expected to:

• Treat children with respect and dignity at all times.
• Avoid one-on-one situations with children wherever possible. Where unavoidable, ensure the situation is observable by others.
• Refrain from any physical contact with children beyond what is appropriate, safe, and culturally sensitive.
• Never share images or personal information about children without explicit consent of a parent or guardian, and only where it serves a legitimate operational or communications purpose.
• Report any suspected or actual child abuse or safeguarding concern immediately to the Child Protection Focal Point.

4.5 Reporting and Response

Any concern regarding the safety or welfare of a child must be reported immediately to the SWB Child Protection Focal Point. The Focal Point will determine the appropriate response, which may include referral to local authorities or partner organisations. All reports are treated confidentially. Retaliation against anyone who raises a genuine child protection concern in good faith will not be tolerated.

4. How We Protect Children

SWB protects children through the following measures:

4.1 Recruitment and Vetting

All staff and volunteers who work with or near children are subject to appropriate background checks before commencing work. References are verified. Any history of conduct incompatible with this policy is grounds for disqualification.

4.2 Training

All field staff and volunteers complete mandatory training on this Child Protection Policy and on context-specific child protection protocols before deployment. Refresher training is conducted annually. New staff and volunteers are trained and must sign a commitment to comply with this policy before beginning fieldwork.

4.3 Project-Level Protocols

Every SWB project or operation that involves contact with children is required to have a child protection protocol specific to that context. Each protocol includes: applicable local laws on child abuse and neglect; mandatory reporting procedures required by local law; a list of local authorities to whom child protection concerns must be reported; and partner organisations that can provide appropriate support services to affected children.

4.4 Safe Behaviour Standards

All SWB personnel are expected to:

• Treat children with respect and dignity at all times.
• Avoid one-on-one situations with children wherever possible. Where unavoidable, ensure the situation is observable by others.
• Refrain from any physical contact with children beyond what is appropriate, safe, and culturally sensitive.
• Never share images or personal information about children without explicit consent of a parent or guardian, and only where it serves a legitimate operational or communications purpose.
• Report any suspected or actual child abuse or safeguarding concern immediately to the Child Protection Focal Point.

4.5 Reporting and Response

Any concern regarding the safety or welfare of a child must be reported immediately to the SWB Child Protection Focal Point. The Focal Point will determine the appropriate response, which may include referral to local authorities or partner organisations. All reports are treated confidentially. Retaliation against anyone who raises a genuine child protection concern in good faith will not be tolerated.

5. Child Protection Focal Point

SWB’s Child Protection Focal Point for Poland is Malgorzata Belniak. She is responsible for implementing this policy within Poland and for coordinating the response to any child protection concerns raised within SWB’s operations.

To report a concern or to ask a question about this policy, contact:

contact@sailorswithoutborders.org
Please include ‘Child Protection Policy’ or ‘CPP’ in the subject line.

5. Child Protection Focal Point

SWB’s Child Protection Focal Point for Poland is Malgorzata Belniak. She is responsible for implementing this policy within Poland and for coordinating the response to any child protection concerns raised within SWB’s operations.

To report a concern or to ask a question about this policy, contact:

contact@sailorswithoutborders.org
Please include ‘Child Protection Policy’ or ‘CPP’ in the subject line.

6. Country-Specific Resources and Reporting Contacts

SWB has operated across multiple countries. Below are the primary child protection authorities and helplines for each country in which we have worked. SWB staff and volunteers must be familiar with the relevant contacts for their area of operation.

Poland

• Fundacja Dajemy Dzieciom Sile — Hotline for children and teenagers: 116 111 | www.116111.pl 
• Niebieska Linia — Helpline for victims of domestic violence including children: tel. 22 668 70 00 | www.niebieskalinia.pl 

Greece

• National Child Protection Helpline (National Centre for Social Solidarity, EKKA): 1107 — 24/7, free
• National Helpline for Children SOS (The Smile of the Child): 1056 — 24/7, free, staffed by social workers and psychologists
• European Child Helpline: 116 111 — free, available in Greece

Italy

• Telefono Azzurro — Italy’s primary helpline for the protection of children and adolescents: 1.96.96 — 24/7
• Emergency number for immediate danger: 114
• European Child Helpline: 116 111

Malta

• Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS) — Child Protection Services: Supportline 179
• Malta Police: 119 (emergency) or 2122 4001

Ukraine

SWB acknowledges the acute and ongoing child protection crisis in Ukraine resulting from the full-scale Russian invasion. In this context, the primary reporting and support channels are:

• National Child Toll-Free Hotline: 116 111 — 24/7, free, for children in need of support or protection
• Government Hotline on Combating Violence against Children: 1547 — 24/7, free, operated by the Ministry of Social Policy
• National Police of Ukraine: 102

In contexts where state services are inaccessible, SWB staff should escalate concerns through UNICEF Ukraine’s Child Protection Sub-Cluster or directly through the SWB Focal Point.

Libya

Libya presents a complex and unstable operational environment in which formal child protection infrastructure is limited. State-level child protection mechanisms may be inaccessible or unsafe in practice. SWB applies heightened safeguarding standards in Libyan operations.

• Primary contacts for child protection concerns in Libya are international humanitarian bodies:
• UNHCR Tawasul Call Centre (for refugees, asylum-seekers, and children at risk): 1504 — available Sunday to Thursday, 09:00-11:00
• UNICEF Libya — child protection case management services available through UNICEF partner centres
• IOM Libya — protection services for unaccompanied and separated migrant children

SWB staff operating in Libya must escalate all child protection concerns immediately to the SWB Focal Point and, where the situation is urgent, directly to UNHCR or UNICEF.

7. Legal Framework

This policy is informed by and consistent with the following international and national instruments:

• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989)
• Optional Protocols to the UNCRC on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (2000), and on the involvement of children in armed conflict (2000)
• Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention, 2007)
• National child protection legislation in each country of operation, including the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, the Polish Code of Criminal Procedure, and applicable laws in Greece, Italy, Malta, Ukraine, and Libya

8. Policy Review

This policy is reviewed annually and updated as necessary to reflect changes in SWB’s operations, applicable law, or best practice in humanitarian child protection. All revisions are approved by SWB’s board and communicated to all staff and volunteers.

Questions about this policy should be directed to the Child Protection Focal Point at contact@sailorswithoutborders.org.