When reporters asked
Ms. Lute about the outcome of the cases of the Moroccan peacekeepers
repatriated from Cote d'Ivoire accused of rape; or the Sri Lanka
contingent repatriated from Haiti on similar charges, she said, "I came
down to speak about the report, not those cases."
But several reporters would not let the issue go and Ms. Lute finally admitted that the Peacekeeping Department had asked the mission in Cote d'Ivoire to respond to charges they were given evidence in child sex abuse cases and did not act.
She said there might be accountability from the mission's leadership, but was unclear on whether it would be the departed leadership or the present group.
"Holding individuals accountable has been an ongoing problem, because none of the reports mentions names of the organizations the individuals work for; so they just leave one job and get hired by another aid group, and the cycle continues," said Ms. Laurent.
Larry Holmes, UN under secretary-general for humanitarian affairs told reporters there was a need to boost efforts to make "zero tolerance" of sexual violence a reality by reversing the "continued failure" of peacekeepers and UN police officials to "take sexual violence seriously."
Mr. Holmes also urged an end to ineffective investigations, minimal prosecutions and interference by the military and other officials in the administration of justice.
Ms. Laurent said the problem is corruption between the international community and local authorities, and whether or not the government takes action against a person depends on where they work.
Save The Children UK agreed, saying the international community is not "exercising sufficiently strong leadership and managerial courage." It asked for an outside-sponsored watchdog to oversee peacekeeping operations.
Reports from missions continue. In early 2008 the Daily Telegraph in London reported that members of the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Sudan were facing allegations of raping children as young as 12.
**************************
But several reporters would not let the issue go and Ms. Lute finally admitted that the Peacekeeping Department had asked the mission in Cote d'Ivoire to respond to charges they were given evidence in child sex abuse cases and did not act.
She said there might be accountability from the mission's leadership, but was unclear on whether it would be the departed leadership or the present group.
"Holding individuals accountable has been an ongoing problem, because none of the reports mentions names of the organizations the individuals work for; so they just leave one job and get hired by another aid group, and the cycle continues," said Ms. Laurent.
Larry Holmes, UN under secretary-general for humanitarian affairs told reporters there was a need to boost efforts to make "zero tolerance" of sexual violence a reality by reversing the "continued failure" of peacekeepers and UN police officials to "take sexual violence seriously."
Mr. Holmes also urged an end to ineffective investigations, minimal prosecutions and interference by the military and other officials in the administration of justice.
Ms. Laurent said the problem is corruption between the international community and local authorities, and whether or not the government takes action against a person depends on where they work.
Save The Children UK agreed, saying the international community is not "exercising sufficiently strong leadership and managerial courage." It asked for an outside-sponsored watchdog to oversee peacekeeping operations.
Reports from missions continue. In early 2008 the Daily Telegraph in London reported that members of the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Sudan were facing allegations of raping children as young as 12.
