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E MAIL THIS STORY UN condemns peacekeeper sex abuse By Evelyn Leopold 01jun05 THE UN Security Council has condemned for the first time sexual abuse amo ng peacekeepers after being told UN members ignored such exploitation fo r decades, fearing exposure of their own soldiers' wrongdoing. The United Nations has accused peacekeepers and civilian staff in the Dem ocratic Republic of Congo of rape, pedophilia, and enticing hungry child ren with food or money in exchange for sex. Sexual abuse on a smaller scale was discovered in other missions. A US-drafted statement read at a formal meeting urged all nations to adop t recent proposals by a UN inquiry to end and prevent sexual abuse. But it says the countries contributing troops have primary responsibility for the conduct of their soldiers.
richmedia=yes&site=news§ion=breakingnews&adsize=300x250&p agepos=1 "The Security Council condemns in the strongest terms all acts of sexual abuse and exploitation committed by UN peacekeeping personnel," the coun cil's statement said. "The distinguished and honourable record of accomplishment in UN peacekee ping is being tarnished by the acts of a few individuals." Jordan's UN ambassador, Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein, who investigat ed the abuse and made extensive recommendations in March, told the counc il embarrassment and pride prevented the exposure of abuse in past years . "We, the member states, have refrained from opening up this subject to pu blic discourse over the last 60 years (because) sentiments of pride, mix ed in with a deep sense of embarrassment, have often produced in us only outright denials," Zeid told the council. "And yet almost all countries that have participated in UN peacekeeping o perations have, at one stage or another, had some reason to feel deeply ashamed over the activities of some of their peacekeepers." Since December last year, 117 soldiers, 32 civilians and three UN police have been investigated. Five UN staff had been dismissed, nine more were undergoing a disciplinar y process and four had been cleared, Jean-Marie Guehenno, the UN underse cretary-general for peacekeeping, told the council. He also said 77 military and two policemen had been sent home, including six military commanders. Mr Guehenno said the problem of exploitation and abuse was likely "to loo k worse before it looks better" because victims were now more likely to come forward. He said areas frequented by prostitutes had been declared off-limits to m issions in the Ivory Coast, Liberia, Ethiopia, Kosovo and East Timor as well as the Congo. But only in Congo were soldiers forbidden to fraterni se with the local population. Prince Zeid estimated it would take two years to put most of his recommen dations in place and a legal team was studying "complex issues" of immun ities for UN staff and what to do when they commit "frightful offences, such as murder". Among other recommendations, Prince Zeid proposed conducting trials in th e country where the abuse took place so victims could testify. He said s oldiers' pay should be docked and a fund set up for any women they impre gnated. The council's statement, responsible for peacekeeping mandates, asks Secr etary-General Kofi Annan to include in his reports a summary of the "pre ventable measures taken to implement a zero-tolerance policy". It also asks him to report the outcome of "actions taken against personne l found culpable for sexual exploitation and abuse".
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