TASH Office Holders shall uphold the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct and act with honesty, dignity, propriety, and respect.

The personal and professional behavior of TASH Office Holders should consistently inspire respect and trust as representatives of an international organization committed to remembrance, accountability, reconciliation, cultural restoration, and honoring the victims of the transatlantic slave trade.

TASH Office Holders shall strive to lead by example and to represent the TASH Standard in good faith, with honesty, integrity, due diligence, cultural sensitivity, and reasonable competence, in a manner that preserves and enhances public confidence in both their integrity and the integrity of the TASH Standard.

Recognizing that many TASH Office Holders may simultaneously represent governments, traditional authorities, descendant communities, civil society organizations, academic institutions, museums, memorial organizations, or diaspora communities, Office Holders shall ensure that such roles do not compromise their responsibilities under this Code.

TASH Office Holders shall discharge their duties in compliance with applicable national laws and regulations and in accordance with the TASH Articles of Association, TASH Principles, TASH Standard, TASH policies, and all governance frameworks adopted by the Association.

TASH Office Holders shall respect others' dignity, cultural traditions, historical experiences, privacy, and rights.

Office Holders shall exercise proper authority and sound judgment in their dealings with colleagues, partner organizations, descendant communities, traditional authorities, government representatives, researchers, educators, visitors, and members of the public encountered in the course of discharging their TASH responsibilities.

Special care shall be taken when engaging with communities whose histories and identities have been directly affected by slavery, forced displacement, colonialism, or historical trauma.

TASH Office Holders shall perform their assigned duties in a professional, diligent, respectful, and timely manner.

Office Holders should actively participate in professional development activities related to heritage preservation, memorialization, genealogy, cultural diplomacy, historical research, community engagement, and other fields relevant to the TASH Standard's objectives.

TASH Office Holders shall not engage in or facilitate any discriminatory, harassing, abusive, or exclusionary behavior.

The TASH Standard is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion, cultural understanding, and equitable participation among all stakeholders, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, age, disability, social background, or political affiliation.

Office Holders shall actively support the meaningful participation of descendant communities, traditional authorities, youth, women, scholars, and diaspora communities in TASH-related activities.

TASH Office Holders shall not use confidential information acquired through their role for personal benefit or for purposes unrelated to the objectives of the TASH Standard.

Office Holders shall respect confidentiality requirements established by the TASH Association and any applicable policies governing records, archives, genealogical information, stakeholder consultations, and sensitive cultural materials.

Unless otherwise determined by the TASH Board, Office Holders shall remain bound by confidentiality obligations for two years following the conclusion of their mandate.

TASH Office Holders shall uphold the principles of accountability, transparency, value for money, and responsible stewardship in the use of TASH funds and resources.

No Office Holder shall misuse TASH property, archives, historical artifacts, memorial materials, intellectual property, equipment, or other resources.

Office Holders shall ensure that all expenditures related to TASH activities are reasonable, properly documented, and directly connected to the fulfillment of TASH objectives.

Any provision of goods or services to the TASH Association by an Office Holder or a related party shall require prior disclosure and approval by the appropriate governing body.

TASH Office Holders shall act at all times in the best interests of the TASH Standard and shall not use their position for personal gain, political advantage, financial enrichment, or preferential treatment.

A conflict of interest arises when personal, professional, financial, familial, institutional, or political interests may compromise — or appear to compromise — the impartial discharge of TASH responsibilities.

Office Holders shall promptly disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from any decision-making process in which such conflicts arise.

Specifically, TASH Office Holders shall:

• Avoid placing personal interests above those of the TASH Standard.
• Refrain from exceeding their delegated authority.
• Avoid using TASH resources, personnel, programs, events, archives, or institutional relationships for personal or third-party gain.
• Avoid external activities that could materially harm the reputation, credibility, independence, or objectives of the TASH Standard.

TASH Office Holders shall not solicit or accept gifts, gratuities, travel benefits, hospitality, honoraria, services, or other items of value that are intended or could reasonably be perceived as influencing the performance of their TASH responsibilities.

Any gifts, travel support, or hospitality received in connection with TASH duties that exceed the value established by the TASH Board shall be disclosed in accordance with TASH policies.

If refusing is culturally inappropriate or diplomatically sensitive, the Office Holder should report the issue and adhere to procedures set by the TASH Secretariat or the relevant governing body.

TASH Office Holders shall promote historical accuracy, scholarly integrity, and responsible stewardship of memorial sites, historical records, oral histories, artifacts, and cultural heritage related to the transatlantic slave trade.

Office Holders shall not knowingly distort, falsify, suppress, or misrepresent historical evidence.

All memorialization, educational, research, and public-awareness activities conducted under the TASH Standard shall strive to honor victims' dignity and preserve historical truth.

TASH Office Holders shall recognize the importance of meaningful consultation with descendant communities, traditional authorities, and affected stakeholders.

Projects involving memorial sites, ancestral remains, symbolic soil repatriation, cultural heritage, genealogical information, or community histories should be conducted with appropriate consultation, respect, and sensitivity.

The TASH Board, national multi-stakeholder groups, and international and national secretariats are responsible for ensuring that TASH Office Holders are familiar with this Code of Conduct and for providing advice, guidance, and training on its interpretation and implementation.

Responsible bodies should periodically confirm that Office Holders remain familiar with the Code and report on its implementation to the TASH Board through the TASH International Secretariat.

ASH Office Holders and other stakeholders with concerns about the interpretation, implementation, or potential violation of this Code of Conduct shall raise them through established TASH reporting mechanisms.

The TASH Board or a designated Governance and Ethics Committee will review reported concerns to determine whether further action is necessary, in accordance with the TASH Articles of Association, Principles, Standards, and related policies.

Individuals who are uncomfortable using immediate reporting channels may submit concerns directly to the Governance and Ethics Committee or to another designated independent body established by the TASH Association.

All reports shall be handled fairly, impartially, and confidentially where appropriate, without retaliation against those who raise concerns in good faith.