Guide for Submitting a Complaint
1. How to submit a complaint
If you believe that the Code of Conduct has been breached, please report this to the LACNIC Ethics Committee by completing this form.
All reports will be treated with confidentiality.
If you believe that someone is in physical danger, or if an incident requires immediate response, first notify the appropriate authorities, or contact one of the Trusted Leaders.
2. What you need to know to file a complaint
a. What happens when a complaint is submitted to the Ethics Committee?
After submitting a complaint to the Ethics Committee, you will receive an email confirming receipt of the complaint. The Ethics Committee may then contact you to request additional information.
If the Committee determines that the complaint can proceed, it must notify the complainant that the complaint will be addressed and inform him/her of the next steps and the timeline for the process. This communication will mention the authority of the Ethics Committee to apply the criteria contained in the Code of Conduct which, at its sole discretion, best apply to the reported situation.
If it is determined that a member of the community has behaved inappropriately, the Ethics Committee will take the action it deems appropriate, including a) warning the person accused (low severity), b) suspending the person accused (medium severity), or c) temporarily or permanently expelling the person accused from the physical or virtual space in which such member is participating (high severity).
The Ethics Committee may also suspend the accused preventively in the following cases:
- if it considers that there are risks for the complainant, witnesses or others involved,
- if the defendant persists in the misconduct despite the request for cessation and/or,
- if it is notified of another situation that warrants preventive suspension and it is presented with evidence.
After confirming receipt of the complaint, the Ethics Committee will have a maximum of 60 days to issue a resolution.
The Ethics Committee will inform the complainant of the progress made in the review, follow-up, and resolution of the complaint.
b. Appeal
A person accused may appeal all the resolutions. A person who files a complaint may only appeal the resolutions of the Ethics Committee if they provide new information to support their request for reconsideration. To request the review of a decision, please contact the Ethics Committee.
C. Handling malicious complaints
When completing the complaint form, the complainant declares that the information included therein is true, complete, and accurate. If it is proven that this was not the case and/or that a malicious or fabricated complaint was submitted, the person who submitted the complaint may be penalized by the Ethics Committee.
d. Personal Data Protection and Habeas Data Action
In accordance with Uruguayan Act No. 18,331 on the Protection of Personal Data and Habeas Data Action, the data provided in the form by the complainant will be included in the Ethics Committee database, which will be processed solely for the purpose of receiving and processing the complaint regarding an alleged violation of the LACNIC Community Code of Conduct and may also be used as background information on future complaints.
Personal data of every person involved will be treated with the appropriate level of protection, taking the security measures needed to avoid their unauthorized modification, loss, treatment or access by third parties. LACNIC is responsible for this database, so the address where the interested party can exercise their right to access, rectify, update, be included in, or excluded from the database is Rambla República de México 6125 or o via mail by contacting infoprivacidad@lacnic.net.
e.Confidentiality of the complaint
All complaints will be handled and analyzed by LACNIC's Ethics Committee in confidentiality. However, the Committee will not be obliged to maintain confidentiality in those cases in which it suspects the existence of a crime and will proceed to file the complaint and/or forward the information to the competent authorities.
f.Ethics Committee
The names of the current members of the Ethics Committee are available at the following link.
g. Conflict of interests
In the case of a conflict of interest, the existing processes that regulate incompatibilities will be followed.