UN humanitarian air service ( UNHAS) in the Central African Republic, 2013. Ton Koene/Press Association. All rights reserved.
It is important to remember that the UN has been struggling for decades with its own sexual abuse epidemic. Sexual violence during times of war and conflict – “as destructive as any bomb or bullet” as Ban Ki Moon, former security general of the UN put it in 2014 – is nothing new. For it to come from UN peacekeepers and UN-employed civilian staff, people that have sworn to protect those in conflict, is an added crime. The difference between those in the #metoo movement and the victims of UN staff, however, is that the latter don’t have the same platform, voice or access to justice. UN staff and peacekeepers are sexually abusing women and children and consistently getting away with it.
A report from the UN Conduct and Discipline Unit website alleges that, since 2010 there have been 612 allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation against UN civilian staff and peacekeepers during missions with 875 ‘identified’ victims, with crimes ranging from transactionary sex to child rape. 173 of these allegations have been found to be substantiated and only 42 have seen jail time. “Is this good enough? No it is not” says Andrew Macleod, who worked as a senior advisor for the UN in disaster zones from 2003-2009.
