U.N. Report to Address Sex Abuse Claims
U.N. Peacekeepers Suspected of Sex Abuse Could Be Court-Martialed in Country Where Claims Originated

By Nick Wadhams
March 1, 2005 
ABC News
Original Source: http://abcnews.go.com/International/UnitedNations/wireStory?id=540405

A United Nations report on sex abuse by U.N. peacekeepers will propose that suspects face court martial in the country where the allegations against them were made, a U.N. official said. 

The idea is one of several being put forward as the world body confronts widespread allegations the U.N. peacekeepers in Congo and elsewhere had exploited the very people they were meant to protect. They are accused off committed sexual crimes that include raping children, some as young as 13, and hiring prostitutes.

Currently, U.N. peacekeepers accused of wrongdoing are sent home to be dealt with by their own government authorities. Often, they are never punished.

For the last few months, Jordan's U.N. Ambassador Prince Zeid al Hussein has led an investigation into the problem and met with U.N. member states on stopping peacekeepers from committing sexual abuse. A report with his findings is scheduled to be released in the coming days.

According to the proposal in Zeid's report, soldiers accused of wrongdoing would not be allowed to return home. Instead, they would be tried in a court-martial conducted by their own military, but in the country where the accusation originated, the U.N. official said on condition of anonymity.

The official said the proposal would enable the United Nations to do something it should have done a long time ago fix the system for holding U.N. peacekeepers accountable.

Allegations of sex abuse and other crimes have dogged U.N. peacekeeping missions almost since their inception in 1948. The United Nations now has a binding code of conduct under which peacekeepers are banned from engaging in sex with girls younger than 18.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan addressed the problem Monday, saying the U.N. would not tolerate sexual exploitation.

We are taking very firm measures changing some of the commanders, some of the civilian staff have been disciplined and we've come up with very strict instructions that they should not fraternize the way they have done in the past, he said.

Zeid's report, which has yet to be made public, is part of delicate U.N. efforts to make sure something gets done about the abuses while keeping the support of member states who provide troops.

Ultimately, nations themselves are responsible for their soldiers' behavior. It has been tough to crack down because the United Nations doesn't want to offend the relatively small number of countries willing to provide peacekeepers.

The idea of in-country courts martial has been raised previously, but its inclusion in Zeid's report suggests it has some support.

The Congo accusations, which arose last May, also come as the United Nations is under attack for several other scandals. U.N. officials have been accused of allowing corruption under Iraq's oil-for-food program, while the refugee chief was accused of sexual harassment and resigned.
Congress, where members have sharply criticized oil-for-food, is also taking up Congo sex abuse. Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., was to lead hearings on the issue Tuesday.

Smith has proposed a bill that would require troop-contributing nations to have codes of conduct in place. Otherwise, the United States would withhold funding for missions.

Withholding funds would be disastrous because the United States, the largest contributor to the United Nations, provides about 25 percent of the peacekeeping budget.

We're subsidizing this larger than anyone else on Earth and we have a responsibility to make sure, as they're acting in our name, that there be a policy of zero tolerance, Smith said.