ESEO Statute:
Official Regulations and Competition Rules

General Statement 

The Code of Conduct and Ethics is grounded in the following principles:

• The ESEO must be organized and attended with a sincere commitment to its core values of academic integrity, solidarity, inclusivity, and respect.

• All participants — students, teachers, jurors, and organizers — must be aware of the ethical and moral responsibilities of their conduct within a multicultural, international context.

• All forms of harassment, discrimination, plagiarism, manipulation, or unethical behavior are categorically prohibited, regardless of national, cultural, religious, or ideological justifications.

• Every participant must promote a collegial, intellectually safe, and emotionally supportive environment during the competition’s online events and virtual interactions.

• The Letter of Compliance, including this Code of Conduct and Ethics, must be signed by every participant (student, educator, organizer) upon registration, and the finalized Code will be published on the official ESEO website 30 days before the competition.​​

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 1. ETHICAL CODE: GENERAL RULES OF CONDUCT

The following general rules apply to all participants:

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All participants:

1.1. Shall respect the ESEO Code of Conduct and Ethics in both letter and spirit.

1.2. Shall avoid any behavior that could cause physical, emotional, psychological, or social harm to others in the virtual environment and must actively prevent such harm where possible.

1.3. Shall contribute to a collegial, ethically safe, and inclusive online space, characterized by mutual respect and sensitivity to diverse cultural, social, and personal backgrounds.

1.4. Shall recognize the values, beliefs, and customs of others, without requiring or expecting compliance with any religious or ideological rules, and must not justify harm or exclusion on such grounds.

1.5. Shall not expose any other participant to harassment, disparagement, or discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, social or family background, or political beliefs in any virtual event, written communication, or online interaction.

1.6. Shall uphold principles of human dignity, freedom of thought, democratic participation, and equal opportunity.

In fulfillment of their roles, organizers and educators:

1.7. Shall display full commitment to the fair, ethical, and transparent organization and administration of the ESEO.

1.8. Shall ensure that students have fair access to diverse academic perspectives.

1.9. Shall protect students from virtual environments or situations that may cause emotional, psychological, or reputational harm.

1.10. Shall not unfairly advantage or disadvantage any student based on personal characteristics or beliefs.

1.11. Shall avoid using their role for personal or financial gain or any other conflict of interest.

1.12. Shall respect the confidentiality of information about students and colleagues obtained in the course of their professional engagement, unless disclosure serves a compelling professional or legal obligation.

1.13. Shall not knowingly make false or malicious statements about others involved in the ESEO.

1.14. Shall avoid accepting any gifts, gratuities, or favors that could compromise the integrity of the competition.

In fulfillment of their responsibilities, students:

1.15. Shall not use any means that may provide an unfair advantage, including unauthorized assistance from teachers, peers, AI tools (unless explicit disclosed), or pre-prepared materials.

1.16. Shall demonstrate honesty and integrity in all aspects of their participation, including essay writing, online communication, and official online events.

1.17. Shall treat all other participants with courtesy and respect in the virtual space, refraining from disruptive, offensive, or hostile conduct.

1.18. Shall respect the privacy of all participants and safeguard personal, academic, and contact information obtained during the competition.

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 2. ETHICAL GUIDELINES FOR THE ACTUAL ESEO ONLINE EVENT

Given the online nature of the ESEO, all participants must:

2.1. Comply with the relevant laws of their own country as well as international standards for online conduct, including privacy, intellectual property, and anti-discrimination laws. Ignorance of applicable laws is not a valid excuse for breaches.

2.2. Use appropriate, respectful language and behavior in all chats, emails, and virtual platforms associated with the ESEO.

2.3. Protect the confidentiality of passwords, access links, and personal data of other participants.

2.4. Avoid any form of digital harassment, trolling, or abuse in competition forums, chats, or private messages.

2.5. Recognize that while local customs may vary, all participants must adhere to these shared ethical standards during ESEO compeition, regardless of differing cultural norms.

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3. ETHICS COMMITTEE

3.1. The ESEO Ethics Committee is an independent, impartial body appointed by the ESEO executive board Committee prior to each Olympiad.

3.2. The Ethics Committee shall:

• Receive and investigate complaints regarding breaches of this Code.

• Mediate disputes between participants where possible.

• Recommend appropriate sanctions to the ESEO International Committee.

3.3. Complaints can be submitted via the official online form or email to the Ethics Committee, with clear details of the alleged incident.

3.4. The names, contact details, and brief biographies of Ethics Committee members will be published on the official ESEO website 30 days prior to the competition.

3.5. In cases of serious violations, the Ethics Committee may initiate an investigation and propose further action, including sanctions and, if legally required, referral to appropriate authorities. The final decision rests with the ESEO International Committee.

3.6. Participants have the right to request a review of Ethics Committee decisions by the ESEO International Committee, whose decision shall be final.

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 4. CONSEQUENCES AND SANCTIONS

Confirmed breaches of this Code may result in one or more of the following:

• Formal Warning

• Disqualification from the current competition

• Retroactive withdrawal of awards

• Exclusion from future ESEO events

• Referral to legal or academic authorities in severe cases

Decisions are made following Ethics Committee review and ratification by the ESEO executive board. Sanctions will be applied proportionally to the severity of the violation and with respect to the right of all parties to be heard.                                         

5. FINAL PROVISIONS

5.1. Participation in the ESEO requires unconditional agreement to this Code, confirmed by signing a Letter of Compliance upon registration.

5.2. This Code is binding for the duration of the ESEO 2025 competition cycle and all related online activities.

5.3. Updates or amendments to this Code will be communicated to all delegations and published on the official ESEO website at least 30 days before the competition.

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6. ELIGIBILITY AND NATIONAL SELECTION

6.1. Each participating country is responsible for selecting up to two (2) official representative students through a nationally organized selection process (nomination).

6.2. Students must be enrolled in secondary education at the time of their national selection and be under 20 years of age on June 1, of each respective competition year.

6.3. National delegations must submit the details of their selected participant to the ESEO Organizing Committee via the official registration form by the annually communicated deadline

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For further information, adress ethicscommittee@eusocolympiad.org