Our organisational policies & guidelines

Our External Complaints and Feedback Policy outlines our commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in all interactions with supporters, partners, suppliers, community organisations, and members of the public. We welcome feedback of all kinds—positive, neutral, or critical—and provide clear, accessible channels for raising concerns about our services, communications, programs, or conduct. Every complaint is handled respectfully, fairly and promptly, with processes in place to acknowledge, assess, investigate, and resolve concerns while maintaining confidentiality and ensuring that no individual is disadvantaged for speaking up.

Our Whistleblowing Policy provides a safe, confidential, and legally compliant mechanism for individuals connected with our organisation—including staff, volunteers, contractors, suppliers, and board members—to report suspected wrongdoing. The policy protects those who speak up from reprisals and outlines how protected disclosures are made, assessed, investigated, and managed. It ensures that all disclosures relating to misconduct, unlawful behaviour, unethical practices, or breaches of duty are handled impartially, securely, and in alignment with our strong ethical standards, governance responsibilities, and legal obligations.

Our Anti‑Bribery, Fraud and Corruption Prevention Policy affirms our zero‑tolerance approach to all forms of financial misconduct and sets out clear expectations for ethical behaviour across our entire organisation. The policy defines bribery, corruption, and fraud, and outlines the controls we use to prevent, detect, and respond to improper activities, including risk assessments, internal controls, mandatory reporting, and cooperation with regulatory bodies. It applies to all staff, volunteers, trustees, contractors, suppliers, and partners, ensuring that we safeguard our resources, uphold our integrity, and maintain the trust placed in us by our communities and donors.

The MSF Australia Code of Conduct sets the minimum behavioural standards expected from all employees, volunteers, board members, association members, consultants and operational partners, ensuring safe, respectful and ethical conduct across all activities. It requires individuals to uphold principles of non‑discrimination, prevent all forms of physical or psychological abuse, avoid exploiting vulnerable people, protect children, act with integrity, respect cultural diversity, use organisational resources responsibly, and comply with national laws where consistent with humanitarian principles. Everyone covered by the Code is responsible for reporting misconduct, and breaches may lead to disciplinary action, including termination or referral to law enforcement.

Our Privacy Policy explains how the organisation collects, manages, uses, and protects personal information provided by patients, supporters, donors, staff, job applicants, and others who interact with MSF, in accordance with privacy legislation. It outlines the types of information collected, the purposes for which it is used—such as processing donations, recruitment, communications, and service delivery—and the circumstances under which information may be disclosed, including legally required disclosures, recruitment transfers across MSF offices worldwide, or use by contracted service providers. The policy affirms individuals’ rights to access, correct, or request deletion or restriction of their data, details how MSF ensures secure handling and storage of information, and provides clear instructions for raising concerns or complaints about privacy.

Our Child Protection Policy outlines the organisation’s commitment to safeguarding children and preventing all forms of abuse, exploitation, and harm in line with international humanitarian principles and MSF’s duty of care. It applies to staff, volunteers, field workers, contractors, board members, and others working with or on behalf of MSF Australia, and sets standards for child‑safe recruitment, screening, training, behaviour, image use, and incident reporting. The policy mandates timely reporting of all concerns, ensures allegations are handled confidentially and sensitively, and specifies that breaches may result in disciplinary actions or referral to authorities. It reinforces MSF Australia’s responsibility to create safe environments for children and to ensure its partners uphold minimum child protection standards across operations.

Our Conflict of Interest and Related Party Transaction Policy sets out how MSF Australia and MSF New Zealand identify, disclose, and manage actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest, including related party transactions. It applies to Board members, Trustees, the Leadership Team, staff, volunteers, and contractors, and provides clear guidance on gifts and hospitality, procurement integrity, conflict of duties, and the processes for recording and resolving conflicts. The policy ensures all decisions are made transparently and in the best interests of the organisation.

Our Refund Policy outlines how MSF Australia and MSF New Zealand consider and manage requests from supporters to refund a donation. It provides clear guiding principles and delegation authorities to ensure a transparent, fair, and consistent refund process. The policy explains the circumstances under which refunds will be considered, the timeframes for resolution, and the escalation pathways available where a straightforward outcome cannot be reached.