03/25/2005

Faced with repeated problems of sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations peacekeepers, the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has issued an honest and far-reaching report, “A comprehensive strategy to eliminate future sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping operations.” The report, written by His Royal Highness Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein, Jordan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, makes numerous important and bold recommendations, notably that troop-contributing countries hold on-site court martials for guilty parties and adopt formal memoranda of understanding in advance of deployment to forward the cases of sexual exploitation and abuse to their competent national or military authorities.

Refugees International has been concerned about the ability of UN peacekeeping forces to operate effectively as long as the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse by the troops of member states is ignored. In April 2004, RI warned the United Nations that they lacked a clear and accountable mechanism that could address allegations of sexual exploitation in the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia (UNMIL). In February 2005, RI noted that while policies enforcing prevention and accountability were in place in the peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), there were not enough staff to effectively raise awareness about sexual exploitation.

While the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) has received the most attention, allegations of sexual misconduct by peacekeepers has dogged all of the peacekeeping missions around the world. Indeed, the problem is not limited just to UN peacekeeping missions, but is one faced by all militaries that intervene in foreign countries.

Since the scandals at MONUC have brought media attention to the exploitation of young Congolese women and children, the UN has struggled to address this issue. Often policies are in place, but they can be ignored by field staff because the UN has no authority to punish offenders. “All I can do is recommend someone be repatriated home,” complained Liberia Special Representative of the Secretary-General Jacques Paul Klein to RI in March 2004. Even if offenders are repatriated, the United Nations has no ability to ensure that they are punished.

RI supports the major recommendations in the Secretary-General’s report and urges the major troop contributing countries to immediately adopt them. RI recognizes, however, that financial and human resources will be required to support the overall strategy. While this report is an important first step, these initiatives must be fully supported and funded by all members of the United Nations. The United States Congress is presently considering a bill to link humanitarian funding to the adoption of codes of conduct regarding sexual exploitation and abuse. If international donors are serious about ending sexual exploitation and ensuring the protection of victims of conflict throughout the world, they must give the United Nations the resources that they need to fight this problem within the framework of its peacekeeping operations.

In April 2005, RI will launch a mission to the troubled northeastern district of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where some of the worst abuses have taken place. Among other issues, we will be examining the question of what changes and resources will be required to implement the report’s recommendations.