1. Purpose and scope
This Code protects a professional, safe, inclusive, ethical, and legally compliant IVSA community. It applies to Members, Directors, Officers, staff, contractors, advisors, volunteers, speakers, sponsors, partners, applicants, guests, and participants in IVSA meetings, events, programs, research, travel, digital communities, and communications.
Compliance is a condition of participation. Organisations must take reasonable steps to ensure their representatives comply.
2. Core standards
Participants must:
- act honestly, professionally, respectfully, and in good faith;
- treat people fairly regardless of legally protected characteristic, background, identity, seniority, or viewpoint;
- respect personal boundaries, consent, accessibility, and reasonable accommodation;
- disclose and appropriately manage conflicts of interest;
- protect personal, confidential, privileged, and commercially sensitive information;
- provide accurate information and correct material errors;
- follow venue, platform, safety, confidentiality, and participation rules;
- respect intellectual-property and attribution rights;
- comply with applicable anti-bribery, anti-corruption, sanctions, competition, employment, privacy, and other law; and
- avoid conduct that could reasonably undermine trust in IVSA or misuse an IVSA role.
3. Harassment, discrimination, and retaliation
IVSA prohibits harassment, discrimination, bullying, intimidation, stalking, threats, unwanted sexual attention, sexual harassment, deliberate misgendering, offensive imagery, repeated unwelcome contact, sustained disruption, and other hostile conduct.
Retaliation against a person who raises a concern, participates in a review, requests an accommodation, refuses inappropriate conduct, or supports another participant is prohibited. A knowingly false or malicious report may itself breach this Code; an unsubstantiated good-faith report does not.
4. Safety and safeguarding
Threats, violence, possession of unlawful weapons, dangerous conduct, and use of intoxicants in a way that creates risk or disruption are prohibited. Event organisers may contact venue security, emergency services, law enforcement, or a safeguarding professional where reasonably necessary.
Where a minor participates, applicable safeguarding, guardian-consent, supervision, photography, and data requirements must be followed.
5. Confidentiality, privacy, and recording
Participants must honour confidentiality notices, non-disclosure obligations, the Chatham House Rule when expressly invoked, and restrictions on use of personal data. Private meetings, calls, or messages may not be recorded, photographed, screenshotted, or redistributed without appropriate permission.
Doxxing, credential sharing, unauthorised publication of contact details, and use of confidential information for personal trading, solicitation, recruiting, investment, or competitive advantage are prohibited.
6. Conflicts, gifts, and integrity
A person involved in an IVSA decision must promptly disclose any financial, personal, professional, or organisational interest that could reasonably affect impartiality. The person must comply with recusal or mitigation instructions.
Bribes, kickbacks, facilitation payments, secret commissions, and improper benefits are prohibited. Gifts and hospitality must be modest, lawful, transparent, and incapable of reasonably influencing a decision. Related-party arrangements require appropriate disclosure and approval.
7. Competition-law conduct
IVSA forums must not be used to discuss or coordinate future prices, fees, commercial terms, customers, territories, market allocation, hiring restrictions, salaries, boycotts, bidding, output, or other competitively sensitive strategy.
Participants must not share non-public competitively sensitive information. Meeting chairs may interrupt discussion, decline documents, record an objection, seek counsel, or remove a participant. Each Member must make commercial decisions independently.
8. Investment and regulated activity
IVSA membership or participation is not investment approval, diligence, endorsement, certification, or a solicitation. Participants must clearly distinguish personal or organisational views from IVSA positions.
No person may use an IVSA forum to offer securities, provide regulated investment advice, promise returns, misuse inside information, or conduct regulated activity without necessary authority and approved safeguards.
9. Use of name, position, and resources
Participants may not misrepresent an IVSA title, mandate, vote, partnership, sponsorship, or endorsement. IVSA funds, systems, mailing lists, confidential information, opportunities, and brand assets may be used only for authorised purposes.
Public statements on behalf of IVSA require designated spokesperson authority. Personal statements must not imply IVSA approval.
10. Reporting
Concerns may be reported through the Contact page or to conduct@ivsa.in. Reports should, where possible, identify what occurred, when and where, persons involved, witnesses, supporting material, immediate safety needs, and requested accommodations.
Anonymous reports may be considered, although anonymity can limit review. Confidentiality will be protected to the extent reasonably possible, but information may be shared on a need-to-know basis for fair review, safety, legal advice, insurance, or legal obligations.
If there is immediate danger, contact local emergency services first.
11. Triage and interim protection
IVSA should acknowledge a report within five business days where practicable and assess safety, conflicts, urgency, jurisdiction, and preservation of evidence. Interim measures may include no-contact directions, schedule or access changes, temporary removal, preservation of records, or referral to an appropriate authority. Interim measures are protective and do not determine fault.
A reviewer with a material conflict must not handle the matter. The Board may appoint an independent investigator or panel for serious or sensitive matters.
12. Fair review
The person affected by an allegation should receive sufficient notice and a reasonable opportunity to respond, except where delayed notice is necessary to protect safety, evidence, or a lawful investigation. Decisions will be based on the information reasonably available and the balance of probabilities, unless another standard is required by law or contract.
Reviews should ordinarily conclude within 45 days, but complexity, availability, parallel proceedings, or safety may require more time. Parties should receive a suitable status update if the timeline materially changes.
13. Outcomes and sanctions
Outcomes may include:
- no further action or informal resolution;
- guidance, education, apology, or corrective undertaking;
- warning or behavioural conditions;
- removal of content, access, title, committee role, speaking role, or event participation;
- temporary suspension;
- membership termination or recommendation for removal from office under the Bylaws;
- repayment, remediation, or referral to an employer, venue, platform, insurer, regulator, professional body, or law-enforcement authority; and
- another proportionate measure permitted by law and IVSA governance documents.
Sanctions will consider seriousness, impact, intent, pattern, cooperation, remediation, conflicts, and safety. IVSA will not contract out of a mandatory reporting obligation.
14. Appeals
A person materially sanctioned may request one written appeal within 15 days on the grounds of material procedural unfairness, material new evidence that could not reasonably have been provided earlier, conflict of interest, or a clearly disproportionate outcome. The appeal will be reviewed by a person or panel not materially involved in the original decision. The appeal outcome is final within IVSA, without limiting statutory rights.
15. Records and non-retaliation
IVSA will maintain proportionate and confidential records under its Privacy Policy and retention requirements. Participants must preserve relevant records and must not intimidate witnesses, destroy evidence, or retaliate.
16. Relationship with other rules
This Code supplements the Bylaws, Terms of Use, event rules, employment obligations, contracts, and applicable law. If an employment, safeguarding, statutory, or professional process is more appropriate, IVSA may refer or coordinate the matter while taking necessary community-protection steps.
17. Updates and contact
The Board may propose updates to this Code under the Bylaws. Material changes will be communicated where appropriate. Questions may be sent to conduct@ivsa.in.