Consistent with section 7019(e) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2021 (Div. K, P.L. 116-260) and the accompanying Joint Explanatory Statement, the U.S. Department of State (State) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) jointly submit this report on allegations of, and steps to prevent and respond to, sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) committed by implementing partners of foreign assistance funds appropriated for State and USAID in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. Sexual misconduct, including sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment, strikes at the very foundation of foreign assistance and runs counter to the core values of State and USAID. State and USAID continue responding to individual SEA allegations while acknowledging that SEA is a global problem that requires systemic changes, actions, and accountability to fundamentally address the factors that drive this behavior.
For a full accounting of State and USAID efforts related to SEA through 2019, see the previous report. This report centers on recent events and additional steps taken to improve business processes and accountability and concludes with a discussion on SEA reporting.
