UN vows 'zero tolerance' over sexual harassment report

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The UN said on Friday it was “no surprise” that sexual harassment occurred within the organization but promised “zero tolerance” in dealing with culprits, after UK newspaper The Guardian accused it of turning a blind eye to dozens of such cases over the years.

In an expose published on Thursday, The Guardian said the UN “has allowed sexual harassment and assault to flourish in its offices around the world, with accusers ignored and perpetrators free to act with impunity.”

The newspaper cited 15 staff members who had experienced or reported being sexually harassed or assaulted over the last five years. Of these, three were fired or threatened with dismissal after making a complaint.

None of the perpetrators was prosecuted or forced to leave their position.

US actress and UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie delivers a statement in front of the sexual and gender-based violence prevention course at The International Peace Support Training Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, June 20, 2017. /VCG Photo

One of the alleged offenders was a senior UN official, according to The Guardian, which spoke to employees from over 10 countries working in eight different UN agencies, including the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Food Programme (WFP) and UN peacekeeping missions.

Talking to reporters in New York on Friday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric admitted there was a problem.

“No one believes that the UN is different from any other organization, public or private… where sexual harassment occurs,” he said.

It was “of no surprise that the issue may very well be underreported within the UN,” he added.

UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres (C) and Ertharin Cousin (L), Executive Director of the World Food Programme, speak with a WFP employee during a visit to the Kule refugee camp in the Gambela Region of Ethiopia, on April 2, 2014. /VCG Photo‍

He insisted however that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “has prioritized addressing sexual harassment and upholding a zero‑tolerance policy within the Organization.”

Guterres “is adamant about dealing with this issue,” Dujarric said.

The Guardian reported offenders were protected even when victims provided evidence and testimonies corroborating their claims.

Internal investigations were inadequate, victims were often convinced not to file a complaint and ombudsmen were pressured to drop cases.

“They mobilize friends, colleagues against you,” said an aid worker who said she was harassed by a senior UN staff member. “I had threats, sent through friends, that ‘She will never set foot in this office again’.”

A file picture taken on May 30, 2014, shows French soldiers patrolling in central Bangui. French peacekeepers were accused of sexually abusing children in the Central African Republic. /VCG Photo

The problem was made worse by the fact that highly placed UN officials may have diplomatic immunity.

Incidents of harassment also often occurred in remote locations where it was difficult to get judicial help.

Internal task forces have been set up to look at how the UN can deal with the problem and the organization is now planning a helpline for staff who have experienced sexual harassment, Dujarric said Friday.

“The whole point is to create an atmosphere in which people who have suffered harassment… feel comfortable to come forward and speak… without any fear of retaliation,” he said.

The UN has come under fire in the past for failing to take action following allegations of sexual abuse carried out by peacekeeping troops in Haiti and the Central African Republic.

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