Within Cost Action CA23115 we wish to create a respectful atmosphere at our meetings for all attendees. The CA23115 policy is that all participants, including attendees,  staff, volunteers, and everyone else at COST (on site/ online) meetings, will conduct themselves in a respectful manner that is welcoming to all participants and free from any form of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. Participants will treat each other with respect and consideration to create a collegial, inclusive, and professional environment at COST meetings. Creating a supportive environment to enable scientific discourse at COST meetings is the responsibility of all participants. Any discrimination based on any ground such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, nationality, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age, or sexual orientation shall be prohibited.

Disruptive or harassing behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. Harassment includes but is not limited to inappropriate or intimidating behavior and language, unwelcome jokes or comments, unwanted touching or attention, sustained disruption of talks or other events, offensive images, photography without permission, and stalking. For each meeting, it will be specified how and whom violations of the code of conduct should be reported to.

Any participant who wishes to report a violation of this policy is encouraged to speak to the persons that have agreed to serve as a point of contact. Thank you for helping make the COST meetings a welcoming, friendly event for all.

For each COST meeting, the point of contact will be a designated three-person committee. In general, it will consist of the Chair (or the vice-Chair of the Action), the WG5 leader (or coleader) and one of the local organizers. The committee will examine the reported violation, it will examine all points of view (including the defendant’s), and, if needed, it will decide sanctions. Sanctions may range from verbal warning, to ejection from the meeting without refund, or to notifying appropriate authorities. If a participant observes inappropriate comments or actions and personal intervention seems appropriate and safe, they should be considerate of all parties before intervening.

For persistent, and recurring violations of this policy outside the context of a specific meeting, Action members may contact the leadership of Working Group 5, the Action Chair, or the Action vice-Chair, or ask for the intervention of a MC representative of their country.

https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA23115/#tabs+Name:Management%20Committee

The reporting is confidential and should include a complete description, including who, what, where, when, of the conduct experienced or incident that is the basis of the report. If you report anonymously, we may be limited in our ability to respond, meet your desired resolution, and/or keep you updated on the status of your complaint.

The Core Group will examine the point of view of the defendant, and it may decide on sanctions. Again, the sanctions range from verbal warning, to rescinding the access of a person to specific Action activities. In the most extreme cases, the Core Group will recommend expulsion of the offender from the Action, to be determined by an MC vote.

Please also take note of the general COST Code of Conduct , which can be found here:

(COST 094/21; Section III (with reference to Section I), page 19; https://www.cost.eu/Annotated_Rules_for_COST_Actions_C#page=20).