Posted on 02/24/2006 1:14:59 PM PST by jalisco555
There are still too many complaints of sexual abuse against United Nations troops, the head of peacekeeping operations has said.
Jean-Marie Guehenno said the UN had investigated 295 cases under a new reporting system introduced last year.
It could take several more years to reform the system fully, says Jordan's UN envoy who last year urged changes.
The 18 peace missions worldwide employ 85,000 staff from over 100 countries, with a budget of nearly $5bn.
Mr Guehenno said although significant progress had been made in reducing the number of cases of sexual exploitation following an investigation in the Democratic Republic of Congo two years ago, much more needed to be done.
"Allegations being lodged against UN peacekeeping personnel remain high and unacceptably so," he said.
He noted "how hard it is to change a culture of dismissiveness, long developed within ourselves, in our countries and in the mission areas."
Mr Guehenno said only the strict enforcement of a complete ban on prostitution in areas occupied by peacekeepers could strengthen the UN's policy of zero tolerance against sexual exploitation.
Jordanian UN ambassador Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein said the increase in allegations was "not entirely unexpected" since there was now a system in place to facilitate complaints.
Briefing the UN Security Council on how the problem was being addressed, the ambassador said it could take three to four years for the reform programme fully to take hold.
I wonder what the "high enough" number is.
As long as Bolton doesn't hurt any feelings, this is OK...NOT.
I caught that too. There must be an acceptable level of child rapes that the UN is exceeding.
All I could think of was, "Ouch".
Man, it's getting late in the day.
He noted "how hard it is to change a culture of dismissiveness, long developed within ourselves, in our countries and in the mission areas."
But give us three or four years...
Simply amazing.
Adding only, "...but there's no money in that."
C'mon, these things take time. First, they have to convene a committee to study the problem. Then they have to find an appropriate 5-star hotel for the committee to meet in. Then, they have to meet to set the agenda for the meeting. Then they have to hire the caterers for the meeting, etc. We just have to be patient.
There are still too many complaints of sexual abuse
Not "There are still too many incidents of sexual abuse."
Not "We have investigated and found cases of sexual abuse"
No.
The problem here is not that there is sexual abuse being committed.
The problem is that there are too many complaints about it.
Coming soon: A 500 page form to be filled out by anyone who wishes to complain of sexual abuse by anyone in the UN.
This should resound with the press as loud as all the Abu Ghraib articles, don't you think?
"Only strict enforcement of a complete ban on prostitution in areas occupied by UN peacekeepers could strenghthen the UN's policy of zero tolerance..."Erradicate prostitution?Easier said than done.How about the timely arrest and prosecution of offenders?Wouldn't that be more effective?
It is impossible to exaggerate the corruption at the UN.
The UN has been an absolute military failure dating back to the Korean War and Budapest Uprising of the 1950s.
Truman should have nuked North Korea when he had the chance, and the UN should have sent military forces to arm and defend Hungarian civilians in 1956.
Their military organization is a complete joke.
Of course. I fully expect this to be on the front page of tomorrow's NY Times, don't you?
With pictures, like the ones the Boston Globe ran with last year!
It's kind of like JFK wanting to reduce terrorism to "nuisance" levels.
Truman should have nuked North Korea when he had the chance,
And if you look at the movie Atomic Cafe, there is a clip of no other than Lloyd Bentsen urging using nukes in Korea to "save american lives".
Never came up in his veep campaign, tho.
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