Conference Code of Conduct Requirements

GNOME conferences must adopt the GNOME Code of Conduct, which should be hosted and published on their conference website. Conference attendees should be made aware of the code of conduct when they register.

Contact information

Please provide information on how to contact the Code of Conduct committee with your conference's copy of the Code of Conduct, as well as how to get emergency support. This should include:

• How to identify conference volunteers and organizers
• Useful emergency contacts, such as emergency services
• Optionally, an emergency phone number for the conference organizers

If you need help

If you have an emergency, use the emergency contact information below or approach event staff immediately for assistance.

If you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, or if you see someone else who needs help, please approach event staff or email the Code of Conduct Team. You are welcome to bring a friend along for support.

We are here to help make this a safe and welcoming environment for you. Even if you feel like your concern is small, or if you are not sure something is an issue, we encourage you to let us know. We're good at listening to people and are often able to offer advice for seemingly minor things.

For more information on what kind of help to expect from event staff and the Code of Conduct Team, or to report an incident online, please visit our reporting incidents page.

Incident Reporting Page

The conference code of conduct should link to a page which explains how to report an incident. This should take the following form:

If someone makes you feel unsafe or unwelcome, or if you see someone violating the Code of Conduct, please report it as soon as possible. The Code of Conduct Team will assist you in any way they can. This may include offering practical support, issuing warnings, or removing individuals from the event.

We won’t ask you to confront anyone and we will keep your report private.

Event staff are happy to help you contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise help you feel safe for the duration of the event.

How to seek help

In person

Members of the Code of Conduct Team will be identified at the conference opening. You can approach them at any time and they will help you. If you are unsure who to approach, our event staff (identified by their colored shirts) can direct you to a member of the Code of Conduct Team.

When talking to you, we will make sure you are safe and cannot be overheard. Other event staff may be involved to make sure your report is managed properly. Once safe, we'll ask you to tell us what happened. We understand that this process could be upsetting for you, and we'll handle it as respectfully as possible. You can bring someone to support you.

By telephone

Help can be sought by telephone using the conference help number: +11 111 1111 111

In writing

The Code of Conduct Team can also be contacted at code-of-conduct-committee@gnome.org.

When submitting information about an incident, please try to include the following details:

• Your Information: Your full name and contact information
• Offender’s Information: Offender’s name, physically identifying information, and contact information (if known)
• Incident Description: Description of the behavior that was in violation of the Code of Conduct, including:
• Time, date, and location of incident
• Circumstances surrounding the incident
• Who else was present

After you've made a report

The Code of Conduct Team are prepared to respond to incidents. If necessary, they will take immediate steps to support you and ensure your safety.

If you choose to provide details about an incident, a digital copy will be taken and filed in case there is a repeat offense or follow up actions are required. All information that you provide will be treated as being confidential. More detailed information about data retention can be found as a part of the Code of Conduct Data Retention Policy.

In more serious cases, code of conduct enforcement actions will be decided and voted upon at a special meeting of the Code of Conduct Team.

Conference Code of Conduct Team

Each conference should have a Code of Conduct Team, which is responsible for enforcing the conference code of conduct. The Code of Conduct Team should be made up of members of the Code of Conduct Committee, whose numbers can be supplemented with other volunteers. The team should follow the standard incident response guidelines. As much as possible, team members should receive training on how to respond to incidents.

Code of conduct team member responsibilities:

• Be familiar with the code of conduct, reporting guidelines and incident response guidelines.
• Be prepared to follow the guidelines and enforce the code of conduct.
• Prior to an event, ensure that the code of conduct is in place and other information, like contacts for local support services, are ready
• If you are present at an event, make yourself known during the opening, and make yourself available to attendees throughout the event.
• Be observant of what’s going on around you and be sensitive to potential code of conduct violations.
• Be contactable and responsive in the run up to, during and immediately after the event. The team should establish a way to communicate amongst themselves, should it be necessary to act swiftly.
• Be prepared to interrupt your other activities in order to take care of code of conduct business.