Abuses by UN peacekeepers have been committed over the past two decades in various parts of the world. Blue Helmets in Haiti, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Bosnia, Cambodia, East Timor and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), just to mention a few missions, have abused their power and aggravated the suffering of war-thorn local communities. The embarrassment caused by the misconduct of UN forces in devastated communities around the world has become an increasingly high profile, political problem. Commitments by various high-profile UN officials, including the incumbent and the previous Secretary Generals have been made to uproot the horrific human rights violations and the impunity that surrounds them.
More than a decade ago, the previous Secretary General Kofi Annan pledged to eliminate the scourge of sexual abuse from the UN and introduce a “zero tolerance” policy on sexual violence in conflict. As part of the broad package to reform the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations to improve conduct and discipline in UN operations, in October 2006, Kofi Annan had appointed a Group of Legal Experts. This group was tasked with conducting a study on the best ways to ensure that the Secretary General’s bulletin on sexual exploitation and abuse is binding on contingent members, and that UN norms of conduct are applicable to all categories of peacekeeping personnel.
Similarly to his predecessor, Ban Ki-moon is also committed to ending sexual abuse by peacekeepers and stopping the impunity. Following reports of abuse of girls or young women by peacekeepers in Central African Republic (CAR), Ban Ki-moon said: “We cannot rest until we have rooted out all such practices. And we must make sure that those involved are held fully accountable.” Although, the incumbent Secretary General sacked the head of the peacekeeping mission in the country and called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address the matter, no big reforms have taken place.
The horrible practice of sexual exploitation and abuse have not been stopped yet. Reports and testimonies revealed that in Haiti, members of the UN peacekeeping mission often engaged in “transactional sex” with women and children (of both sexes) in exchange for necessities like food and medication. This had happened in other countries, such as the CAR.
At the root of the problem is impunity: almost none of those suspected of criminal responsibility for crimes of sexual violence face a real threat of criminal prosecution for their crimes. At the UN, many cases do not receive a thorough and immediate investigation. But even if a UN inquiry finds a suspect responsible for rape, there are almost no consequences.
Typically, the alleged perpetrator is sent back home and the case ends there. Because of questionable rules regarding peacekeeper immunity, the onus is generally on the troop-contributing country to undertake prosecutions, but they rarely, if ever, do so.
As Amnesty International expressed in a press release:
“A much more aggressive approach to justice for such crimes is needed. Concrete and effective preventive measures must be instituted. Accountability must be made real and public, not just theoretical. Countries need to feel meaningful pressure to bring sexual abuse cases before their civilian courts; if they fail to do so, they need to be publicly outed. There has to be follow-up and transparency.
Because accountability starts from within, the UN should take a critical look at its own failures in dealing with sexual abuse. It has already taken a step in that direction by setting up a review panel to examine its handling of allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in CAR. Either that panel’s mandate and powers should be expanded, or its work should be followed by a more comprehensive, investigative assessment of the UN’s response to sexual exploitation and abuse allegations.”