The CERN Code of Conduct

It’s about common basic standards of behavior to help us understand how to conduct ourselves, treat others and expect to be treated in accordance with the CERN values

How the Code came about:

As part of the Human Resources Strategy and global reflection on CERN values and common standards of behavior and also in response to requests from various internal bodies, the Code of Conduct has been developed further to an extensive collaboration and consultation process during 2009 and 2010. CERN’s first Code of Conduct is applicable from 1 July 2010.

What the Code is:

The Code is intended as a guide in helping us, as CERN contributors, to understand how to conduct ourselves, treat others and expect to be treated.  It is based around the five core values of the Organization. We should all become familiar with it and try to incorporate it into our daily life at CERN.

Why we need a Code:

To enhance transparency, objectivity and clarity, to prepare ourselves for increased public scrutiny and to address recurrent issues in a positive and preventive manner.  The benefits of well-adapted Codes are now widely recognized and it is time for CERN to have its own.

More specific examples of situations:

The Code itself is a short document, and intentionally so.  To increase understanding of how the Code applies to practical situations, a list of Frequently Asked Questions has been compiled (see reference documents section and FAQ).

If you are unsure of a particular aspect of the Code:

If you are unsure about any aspect of the Code, there are a number of resources available to you:

Background resources:

Spotlight on CERN : The code of conduct (Video: CERN)