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Peacekeeper sex abuse 'too high'
 There are still too many complaints of sexual abuse against United Nations troops, the head of peacekeeping operations has said. Jean-Marie Guehenno said the UN had investigated 295 cases under a new reporting system introduced last year.
| That's about 295 too many. |
It could take several more years to reform the system fully, says Jordan's UN envoy who last year urged changes.
The 18 peace missions worldwide employ 85,000 staff from over 100 countries, with a budget of nearly $5bn.
Mr Guehenno said although significant progress had been made in reducing the number of cases of sexual exploitation following an investigation in the Democratic Republic of Congo two years ago, much more needed to be done. "Allegations being lodged against UN peacekeeping personnel remain high and unacceptably so," he said. He noted "how hard it is to change a culture of dismissiveness, long developed within ourselves, in our countries and in the mission areas."
| It's not hard at all. Investigate the first claim, and if the perpetrators are guilty, send them to Gitmo for 20 years in the slammer. Gitmo is convenient, well-run, and it would shut up all the protesters, so it's a win-win for everyone. Do this once or twice and watch the behavior of the UN peacekeepers change. |
Mr Guehenno said only the strict enforcement of a complete ban on prostitution in areas occupied by peacekeepers could strengthen the UN's policy of zero tolerance against sexual exploitation.
Jordanian UN ambassador Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein said the increase in allegations was "not entirely unexpected" since there was now a system in place to facilitate complaints.
| "Before we just brushed the allegations under the table, but now the peasants are complaining. It's so inconvenient," he noted. |
Briefing the UN Security Council on how the problem was being addressed, the ambassador said it could take three to four years for the reform programme fully to take hold.
Posted by: Steve White 2006-02-25 |
