US Wants UN Council To Condemn Peacekeepers' Abuse
By Reuters
May 23, 2005
The New York Times
Original Source: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-un-sex-peacekeepers.html?
NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States wants the U.N. Security Council to condemn sexual abuse by U.N. peacekeepers to send a signal to troop commanders in the field that the 15-member body is watching.
A draft statement circulated to council members on Monday would urge all nations to adopt a recent inquiry's proposals to end and prevent sexual abuse. But it says that the nations contributing troops have primary responsibility for the conduct and discipline of their soldiers.
The statement ``condemns in the strongest terms all acts of sexual abuse and exploitation'' and endorses a U.N. General Assembly panel's proposals for prevention, monitoring, investigation and reporting of misconduct.
The United Nations has accused peacekeepers and civilian staff in the Democratic Republic of Congo of rape, pedophilia, and enticing hungry children with food or money in exchange for sex. Sexual abuse, albeit on a smaller scale, was discovered in other missions as well.
``We wanted to make sure the Security Council sent this important message out to the U.N. agencies and to the peacekeeping missions so that all could understand that the Council is squarely behind this effort,'' said Richard Grenell, spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations.
A U.N.-commissioned report from Jordan's U.N. ambassador, Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein, recommended in March that soldiers be punished for any sexual abuse, their pay docked and a fund set up to assist any women and girls they impregnated.
Some of his proposals have been approved, such as a special U.N. unit to investigate abuse, including DNA testing where necessary. Others need to be instituted by troop-contributing nations, who jealously guard jurisdiction over their soldiers.
The U.S.-drafted statement Washington wants adopted at a formal meeting this week says the council, responsible for peacekeeping missions, would consider the new recommendations in establishing new mandates or renewing previous ones.
It asks Secretary-General Kofi Annan to include in his reports a summary of the ``preventable measures taken to implement a zero-tolerance policy.'' It also asks him to report the outcome of ``actions taken against personnel found culpable for sexual exploitation and abuse.''
``The distinguished and honorable record of accomplishment in U.N. peacekeeping is being tarnished by the acts of a few individuals,'' the draft statement said.