UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations said Tuesday it received 54 allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation against U.N. peacekeepers and civilian staff and groups implementing U.N. programs in the first three months of 2018, including one involving an 11-year-old girl.
U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters that 14 allegations involved U.N. peacekeeping operations, 18 involved U.N. agencies, funds and programs, and 21 were related to U.N. partner organizations. One allegation involved a member of a non-U.N. international force operating under a U.N. Security Council mandate, he said.
Haq said the allegations involve 66 victims, including 13 girls under age 18. He said two women and one girl were pregnant, and paternity was established in one case. The ages of 16 victims were unknown, he added.
The United Nations has long been in the spotlight over allegations of child rape and other sexual abuses by its peacekeepers, especially those based in Central African Republic and Congo. But the latest figures demonstrate again that sexual misconduct spans the entire U.N. system.
Haq stressed that “with over 95,000 civilians and 90,000 uniformed personnel working for the U.N., sexual exploitation and abuse are not reflective of the conduct of the majority of the dedicated women and men who serve the organization.”
“But every allegation involving our personnel undermines our values and principles and the sacrifice of those who serve with pride and professionalism in some of the most dangerous places in the world,” he said.
In 2017, the United Nations received 138 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, some involving multiple perpetrators and victims, and over 40 percent arising from its peacekeeping missions, according to a U.N. report in March.
Haq said there were no quarterly figures issued in 2017, but the first quarter figures for 2018 appear significantly higher, while the percentage of allegations involving peacekeepers is markedly lower at 26 percent.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the March report that much remains to be done “to ensure the United Nations has its own house in order” and his “zero tolerance” policy for sexual misconduct becomes a reality.
“No individual serving under the United Nations flag should be associated with sexual exploitation and abuse,” he said. “Combating this scourge continues to be one of my key priorities for 2018, as is assisting and empowering those who have been scarred by these egregious acts.”
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said tackling sexual abuse will be on the agenda of Guterres’ meeting in London on May 3-4 with his senior leadership and the heads of 31 U.N. agencies and specialized organizations. It is being hosted by the London-based International Maritime Organization.
Dujarric told reporters Monday that Guterres will deliver “a strong message” to the U.N. Chief Executives Board “on the need to improve the U.N. system’s approach to preventing and responding to sexual harassment in the workplace.”
Haq said not all allegations from 2018 have been verified and many are being assessed.
He said two have been substantiated by an investigation; two were not substantiated; 21 are at various stages of investigation; 27 are under preliminary assessment; and one investigation’s result is under review.