Universal Code of Conduct

Universal Code of Conduct

• Overview
• Policy text (change log)
• Participate
• Timeline
• FAQ

The Universal Code of Conduct (UCoC) aims to provide a universal baseline of acceptable behavior for the entire Wikimedia movement and all its projects.

The UCoC is a key policy initiative from the Wikimedia 2030 community conversations and strategy process. The Strategy groups consulted Wikimedians from the global communities and put forth 10 recommendations to guide the movement towards its 2030 vision. One of the recommendations, to “Provide for Safety and Inclusion,” included drafting a Code of Conduct, the UCoC. The UCoC is being developed in consultation with communities from across the Wikimedia movement with respect to context, existing local policies, as well as enforcement and conflict resolution structures. Previous community discussions about the Universal Code of Conduct can be found on this page.

The UCoC consultation is being held in two phases. Phase 1, from June to December 2020, involved research and conversations with communities on what a UCoC would look like. It resulted in the UCoC Policy, which is intended to apply to all activities in the Wikimedia movement. The Board of Trustees announced its approval of the UCoC Policy on 2 February 2021, though neither the global community nor individual communities have approved this Code of Conduct. Phase 2 involves ongoing global conversations and proposal drafting on the implementation and application of the UCoC. It officially began in February 2021.

Overview

Universal Code of Conduct version history
Discussion
2 February 2021
Board-ratified text Change log
13 October 2020
Draft submitted to Board Change log
7 September 2020
Initial draft

Between 2018 and 2020, the Wikimedia 2030 strategy process invited volunteers to look at how to best guide the Wikimedia movement towards the future. Through working groups, online discussions, and in-person events around the world, 10 recommendations and principles were published in May 2020. One of these recommendations was to “Provide for Safety and Inclusion”:

We will establish Movement-wide standards for an inclusive, welcoming, safe, and harassment-free environment. This will enable us to better attract and retain new and diverse volunteers and grow as a movement.

A key part of this recommendation was to create a Code of Conduct, the UCoC. It aims to provide a "universal baseline of acceptable behavior for the entire movement without tolerance for harassment". Wikimedia communities work in highly varied contexts, and no code of conduct will be able to cover every situation and issue. If the Terms of Service are updated to include it, participants and local projects will be asked to follow and build upon the baseline established by the UCoC.

As per the Board of Trustees’ statement, there are two phases for the UCoC project. The first phase ("Phase 1") involved research, community and stakeholder dialogue, as well as a staff-appointed joint volunteer-staff committee that drafted the UCoC text proposal. The proposed text was submitted to the Board of Trustees for ratification on 13 October 2020. The Board announced the approved text on 2 February 2021.

The second phase ("Phase 2") of the project began on 2 February 2021, when the Board approved the draft UCoC text developed in Phase 1. The second phase of the project focuses on how to enforce the UCoC. As with the first phase, determining responsibilities and outlining clear enforcement pathways involves broad input from communities across the Wikimedia movement.

Current status

Content in this section is transcluded from the list of UCoC consultations. Please follow the timeline below for an overview of the UCoC process.

As part of Phase 2 of the process, there are multiple consultations with volunteers. The community consultations will inform the initial enforcement proposal draft and the draft before it is finalized.

Here is what is currently happening with the UCoC project:

• Consultation of Wikimedia communities: The Wikimedia Foundation is seeking input from the global communities about the application of the Universal Code of Conduct (UCoC). Individual communities are invited to open a discussion in that project's language or context. This comment period is planned to last from 5 April to 5 May 2021.
• Phase 2 drafting committee applications: Wikimedians are invited to apply for the Phase 2 drafting committee. Applications are open until 19 April 2021.
• Affiliate consultations: Wikimedia Affiliates are invited to provide their perspective about UCoC enforcement.
• Functionaries consultation: A Functionaries Meeting will take place from 10–11 April 2021.

Phase 2 of the UCoC project began with local language consultations. These were facilitated discussions with target language communities in discussion channels and platforms frequented by each of those communities. A comprehensive summary of these consultations will be released in April 2021.

As our movement grows, community voices are needed to help shape the pathways to enforcing the UCoC that address the diverse needs of individual communities. The project team encourages communities to regularly share their experiences, ideas, and learnings with behavioral policies here on Meta, in consultations and discussions, or via email.

Timeline

Universal Code of Conduct Phase 2 Timeline

	Event/Milestone	Date	Status
Investigate key enforcement questions	Board of Trustees ratifies UCoC	2 February 2021	Done
	Local community consultations	Late January – March 2021	Done
	Affiliate consultations	Late February – April 2021	Ongoing
	Functionary consultations	April 2021	Upcoming
	On-wiki consultations	April – May 2021	Ongoing
	Targets of Harassment report	April 2021	Upcoming
Create & approve enforcement proposal	Call for participation: Phase 2 drafting committee	Late March – April 2021	Open!
	Drafting committee: initial drafting	May – July 2021	Upcoming
	Draft enforcement proposals community consultations	July – September 2021	Upcoming
	Drafting committee: refine enforcement proposal	October – November 2021	Upcoming
	UCoC enforcement proposal submitted to Board of Trustees	December 2021	Upcoming

Universal Code of Conduct Phase 1 Timeline

	Event/Milestone	Date	Status
Early research and outreach	Publish a summary of local language consultations	15 June 2020	Done
	Affiliate outreach: surveys and interviews	June – July 2020	Done
	Outreach to communities completed and feedback compiled	July 2020	Done
	Wikimedia Foundation staff survey completed and summarized	July 2020	Done
Drafting	Call for participation: drafting committee	June 2020	Done
	Drafting committee selected	17 July 2020	Done
	Drafting committee: active drafting stage	August – September 2020	Done
	UCoC draft community comment period	September – October 2020	Done
	UCoC draft revised in light of community comments	6–12 October 2020	Done
	UCoC draft delivered to Board of Trustees for review, with links to community comments	13 October 2020	Done