UN steps up action on sexual misconduct in wake of CAR allegations

Updating journalists connected Monday, Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq reported connected enactment by the UN ngo successful the country, MINUSCA, and engagement with troop-contributing countries successful New York. 

Assistance to victims 

In mid-September, the UN announced that each Gabonese subject units deployed to the CAR were being instantly repatriated pursuing credible reports of alleged maltreatment of 5 girls. 

“Since the allegations came to light, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and the Gabonese authorities person collected grounds which, we understand, would let the Gabonese authorities to implicit their nationalist probe and pass america of its outcome,” said Mr. Haq. 

All identified victims person been referred for assistance, helium added, underlining this priority.  

MINUSCA is besides looking astatine ways to code gaps successful assistance.  A task to supply victims with medical, intelligence health, psychosocial, legal, and worldly support, is presently nether review.  

Recent allegations investigated 

The UN ngo besides deployed teams to respective distant locations successful the CAR and gathered accusation regarding much precocious reported allegations of intersexual misconduct involving ‘blue helmets’.  

“We are successful the process of informing the Member States concerned, truthful that nationalist investigations tin beryllium launched arsenic soon arsenic possible, with the assistance of the Office of Internal Oversight Services,” said Mr. Haq. 

Meanwhile, constructive exchanges proceed betwixt the UN and countries which lend troops and constabulary offers to peacekeeping missions 

“We expect them to instrumentality urgent measures to code each allegations concerning their unit and guarantee that perpetrators who are recovered to person engaged successful intersexual exploitation oregon maltreatment are held accountable successful enactment with nationalist laws,” Mr. Haq told journalists. 

'Spare nary effort'

Senior leaders astatine UN Headquarters successful New York person stepped up engagement with different peacekeeping missions, and with different countries contributing uniformed unit to MINUSCA. 

Mr. Haq said this is to guarantee that matters related to intersexual exploitation and maltreatment are addressed, victims are supported, and prevention is strengthened. 

“We stay powerfully engaged with unit and police-contributing countries to guarantee that vetting and enactment of their peacekeeping unit strictly conscionable the UN standards of conduct,” helium said. 

“The Secretary-General volition proceed his efforts to guarantee that the UN system, arsenic good arsenic Member States, enactment successful a coordinated mode to combat intersexual exploitation and maltreatment and spare nary effort successful supporting the victims.”