Professional Acceptance Principles
YBNA works with individuals and institutions anywhere in the world, by clear professional and ethical standards. It keeps the absolute right to accept or decline any client or engagement, without giving reasons, in line with its professional values and its sense of responsibility.
Scope of Non-Acceptance
YBNA will not work, directly or indirectly, with any individual or entity that is:
Convicted of, or involved in, crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide, or grave violations of human rights, as established by international judicial rulings, documented convictions, or facts so widely established that they meet a reasonable standard of certainty, rather than transient or unsubstantiated political allegations
Seeking to justify, obscure, or rebrand repressive practices, systematic violence against civilians, or policies of ethnic or religious cleansing or exclusion, whether through 'media repositioning', 'reputation management', or advisory work meant to escape ethical or legal accountability
Using the engagement as a way to mislead public opinion, get around the law, or empty accountability of its substance
Asking for the names of previous clients, or making the engagement conditional on using existing names or relationships for promotion or reassurance
Seeking an engagement that would place YBNA in a conflict of interest, as set out in its Terms of Engagement
Independence and Right to Refuse
YBNA keeps the full right to end any engagement or refuse any request, at any stage, if it conflicts with these principles, and it owes no detailed justification for doing so. Where YBNA ends an engagement, the fee is refunded in full as set out in the Pricing and Payment Policy.
Handling Ongoing Conflicts
YBNA will not advise, directly or indirectly, any individual or entity engaged in an ongoing armed conflict where the advice would help justify or prolong violence, shape public narratives in ways that hide civilian suffering, manage or improve an image during grave violations, or give intellectual, political, or communication cover to acts whose legal or ethical responsibility is still unresolved.
This includes, though not only, advisory work on public positioning during a conflict, reputation management during active military operations, or reframing the conversation to soften or deny the human cost of a conflict.
Principle of Humanitarian Neutrality
YBNA's neutrality is humanitarian, not ethical. Staying out of ongoing conflicts is a deliberate professional decision, not a matter of circumstance, tactics, or interpretation.
Questions? [email protected]