Code of Conduct and Ethics

Everyone who acts for ASF — Council members, Secretariat staff, Coordinators and Monitors — must act with integrity, impartiality and accountability, and signs this Code on joining and annually thereafter. Owner: ASF Secretariat.

• Act impartially in every standards decision and every accreditation verification, regardless of personal relationship to the facility or author.
• Declare conflicts under the Conflict-of-Interest Policy before they arise, not after.
• Never accept a gift, payment or favour from a facility under assessment — governed jointly with Donor Due Diligence (ASF-POL-33).
• Treat every person ASF interacts with — facility staff, patients, colleagues — with respect, consistent with Equal Opportunity provisions in HR, Recruitment and Role Conduct (ASF-POL-20).

Breach is handled under Feedback, Complaints and Incident Management (ASF-POL-21); consequences for certified Coordinators/Monitors follow ASF-MON-STD-v1 Standard F2. This Code is endorsed by the International Standards Council, the same body that endorses every policy in this Manual under ASF-POL-46.