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In Liberia, UN Staffer Jailed for Child Support,
Immunity Would Have Applied Like More Serious Abusers
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of
Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS,
November 7 -- In Monrovia it was
reported that a member of the UN
Mission in Liberia was arrested for failure to
pay child support. But since the UN cites immunity from
prosecution
when for example peacekeepers are charged with rape or sexual abuse,
why did
this staffer get locked up?
On Friday
at the UN, Inner City Press asked UN
spokesperson Michele Montas why the accused didn't have immunity. "In
cases like this," she said, there is no immunity, "because the charge
has nothing to do with his mandate or service." And rape does? It was
then
offered that while a peacekeepers or soldier might have immunity, a
civilian
staffer wouldn't. Video here,
from Minute 40.
This too
seemed strange, since non-military officials of the UN often cite
immunity.
UN in Liberia, child support and policies not shown
Finally, very soon after the noon briefing, the following arrived:
"Further to your question
about the former staff member of UNMIL, we have the following
additional
information from UNMIL: The person in question is no longer an UNMIL
staff
member. His contract ended at end of September. His case has been
discussed
between the UN Mission in Liberia and UN Headquarters, and it was
confirmed
that he no longer has privileges and immunities."
This
implies that if he was still under contract, he would in fact be
immune. Inner
City Press asked Ms. Montas if the UN has any policy about how UN staff
should
treat children that they "leave behind" in the countries, usually in
Africa, to which they are sent. "The UN doesn't say anything about
that," Ms. Montas said, "the UN has no policy. But shouldn't it?
Watch this site, and this Oct. 2 debate, on
UN, bailout, MDGs
and this October 17 debate, on
Security Council and Obama and the UN.
* * *
These
reports are
usually also available through Google
News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click
here
for a Reuters
AlertNet piece by this correspondent
about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click
here
for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali
National
Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an
undefined trust fund. Video
Analysis here
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[at] innercitypress.com
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