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UN Tells ICP of 3 Substantiated Sex Abuse Cases, 30 Pending from 2012, Zero on From Where

By Matthew Russell Lee, 1 in a Series

UNITED NATIONS, February 20 – The UN found three “substantiated” cases of sexual exploitation or abuse by its peacekeeping personnel in 2012, having reached conclusions on 16 of the 60 complaints for that year, the UN told Inner City Press late Tuesday.

  But the UN did not, as Inner City Press requested, provide any answer about repatriation, much less to what countries and about prosecution and conviction, despite the claim of a “zero tolerance” policy by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous.

  At the UN noon briefing of February 19, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky, based on a UN committee meeting at which it was the only reporter, “in 2012 there were 60 allegations of sexual abuse.... what’s happened on the 60? Is there somewhere we can get, hopefully today, on the 60 allegations, how many people were repatriated; if possible, to what countries, just something more on what happened on these 60 cases in 2012?”

  Nesirky replied, “Let me speak with my colleagues in DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] to see what’s available from our peacekeeping operations team.”

  Five pm deadline passed, without response. Then after 9 pm New York time, the following came in, which we publish in full, less than six hours after it was provided:

Subject: Your question on sexual exploitation and abuse allegations against UN peacekeepers
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 9:49 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

On the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse, DPKO and DFS report that in 2012, a total of 60 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse were reported, down from 74 allegations reported in 2011. Of the 60 allegations reported in 2012, close to half involved the most egregious forms of sexual exploitation and abuse, namely sexual activities with minors or non-consensual sexual acts. Twenty-five (25) allegations involved civilian personnel, 19 involved military personnel, 9 involved police personnel, six were non-UN, and 1 was unknown. Of these, the status of investigations is as follows as of 1 February 2013: 30 are pending, 13 are unsubstantiated, and 3 are substantiated.

In line with its zero tolerance policy, UN Peacekeeping is determined to continue its efforts to strengthen accountability for prevention, enforcement and response including criminal accountability where warranted - and in accordance with national laws. Victim assistance must also remain a priority.

  While appreciating the response, we note that the numbers do not add up.

  But even with half of the complaints still “pending” as of February 1, 2013, it is striking that for the three “substantiated” complaints, the UN does not as requested answer on repatriation, and to which countries.

  The reference to “in accordance with national laws” would seem to mean that that UN disclaims responsibility for prosecution. (Of course, the UN could decline to give immunity to troops from countries which won't prosecute in substantiated cases of sexual exploitation or abuse.)

  But what prevents the UN from providing more information at least about the substantiated cases?

  Already we have shown that Ban Ki-moon's “Human Rights Due Diligence Policy,” as (not) applied by Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous to 126 rapes in Minova by the Congolese Army which Ladsous' DPKO supports, is not what it claims to be.

  This may explain Ladsous' open refusal, for example on November 27, December 7 and December 19, 2012, to answer Inner City Press' questions about the rapes and the policy.

  To avoid Inner City Press questions about rape, Ladsous left the Security Council stakeout and gave private briefings, not about rape, to the UN bureau chiefs of the wire service Reuters, Voice of America and Agence France Presse (AFP), on a board of which he used to serve.

  After complaints by the Free UN Coalition for Access, on February 6 Ladsous did finally take a question from Inner City Press and said that the UN knows the identity of most of the rapists.

  But after Inner City Press followed up, in writing then in person, the answer was that the UN will do nothing until the Congolese investigation is completed: a rape grace period.

  How meaningful or meaningless is Ban's claimed “Zero Tolerance” Policy? Watch this site - and this series.