The UNITA Code of Ethics and Conduct is an essential document that outlines the shared ethical values of the alliance: integrity, commitment, professionalism, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability.
It lays out the expected behaviors for everyone in the UNITA community, including students, academic staff, and administrative personnel involved in collaborative activities. These values come to life through specific guidance, like steering clear of conflicts of interest (integrity), creating safe and inclusive workspaces (commitment), ensuring respectful and confidential communication (professionalism), advocating for gender equality (diversity and inclusion), and promoting environmentally friendly choices (sustainability).
The Purpose
The Code acts as a self-regulation and decision-making guide, helping individuals and teams align their actions with UNITA’s values, even when faced with tricky or unclear situations. It fosters transparency, accountability, and ethical awareness.
Additionally, it anticipates potential misconduct, aids in the fair and timely resolution of ethical dilemmas, and encourages ongoing learning through training, guidance, and reflection.
Relevance to the Alliance
By offering a shared ethical framework, the Code of Ethics and Conduct builds trust and collaboration among partner universities while honoring each institution’s independence. It ensures that behavior and decision-making remain consistent across all UNITA initiatives. With the support of a diverse Ethical Committee and practical tools like advisory services and a secure whistleblowing platform, the Code bolsters the alliance’s reputation as a responsible, inclusive, and forward-thinking academic network
UNITA Ethical Committee and Reporting Channels
Created in accordance with the UNITA Code of Ethics and Conduct, the UNITA Ethical Committee serves as an advisory body dedicated to supporting ethical decision-making, ensuring compliance with shared standards, and promoting a culture of ethics through guidance, training, and dissemination activities.
Appointed by the Governance Board in September 2025, the Committee will serve until 31 October 2027.
Reflecting the alliance’s values of diversity and inclusion, the Ethical Committee brings together members from different institutions and professional backgrounds within UNITA. The appointed members are:
Leire San-José (Coordinator)
Raffaella Cassano
Maria Goreti
Geneviève Le Fort
Pablo Ruiz Calvo
How to Contact the Committee
The Committee is available to the entire UNITA community for advice regarding ethical matters or the application of the Code of Ethics and Conduct.
Members can be contacted directly at ethical.committee@univ-unita.eu.
Reporting Misconduct (Whistleblowing)
To uphold a safe, transparent, and responsible academic environment, UNITA also provides a confidential whistleblowing mechanism for reporting potential breaches of the Code, including concerns involving integrity, professionalism, discrimination, or sustainability.
Anyone who witnesses or experiences unethical behavior may submit a report through the dedicated Whistleblowing Form, available at the following link: Form.
All submissions are treated with the highest level of confidentiality and fairness. The identity of the whistleblower is protected to the greatest extent possible, and UNITA strictly prohibits any form of retaliation against individuals who raise concerns in good faith.
