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1 1 (June 13, 2016)

handle is hein.crs/govcdyw0001 and id is 1 raw text is: F., ' riE SE-.$r0. & t June 13, 2016 United Nations Issues: Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by U.N. Peacekeepers Congress has expressed ongoing concern regarding continued reports of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by United Nations (U.N.) peacekeepers. Many policymakers and observers contend that such allegations undermine the credibility of both U.N. peacekeeping efforts and the United Nations as a whole. Some also question the effectiveness of U.N. efforts to combat the issue. The United States, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) and the largest financial contributor to U.N. peacekeeping, has denounced the problem and called for improved accountability for perpetrators. It played a key role in the March 2016 adoption of UNSC resolution 2272 on SEA and U.N. peacekeeping operations. The United Nations operates 16 U.N. peacekeeping missions worldwide, with over 120,000 military, police, and civilian personnel (U.N. peacekeepers) from more than 120 troop and police contributing countries (TCCs). As of June 2016, the combined annual peacekeeping budget is about $8.3 billion, which includes reimbursements to TCCs for peacekeepers, training, and equipment; operational requirements, such as transportation and facilities; and staff costs. Past allegations. In the 1990s, reports of sexual misconduct surfaced in peacekeeping missions in the Balkans, Cambodia, Liberia, and Timor-Leste, among others. During the early 2000s, the United Nations implemented reforms to combat the problem, including establishing a zero-tolerance policy, enhancing peacekeeper vetting and training, and creating U.N. conduct and discipline mechanisms. Recent allegations. In 2015, renewed controversy erupted over reports that U.N. officials in MINUSCA (the U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (CAR)) failed to follow up on allegations in 2014 that international troops serving in a CAR peacekeeping mission had sexually abused young children in exchange for food and money. (The alleged perpetrators were from a French military force operating as peacekeepers under authorization of the UNSC but not under U.N. command.) Additional reports of sexual misconduct by U.N. and other peacekeepers in subsequent months prompted U.N. Secretary-General (SG) Ban Ki- moon to request and receive the resignation of the Special Representative and Head of MINUSCA in mid-2015. In late 2015, an independent review panel appointed by the SG found that the U.N. response to the allegations was seriously flawed, focused on protocols rather than action, and was fragmented and bureaucratic. It asserted that U.N. agencies had failed to satisfy the U.N.'s core mandate to address human rights violations. In March 2016, MINUSCA reported over 100 new allegations involving women and minors by both U.N. and non-U.N. personnel in southern CAR. Investigations by the United Nations, relevant TCCs, and France are under way. In the past year, there have also been allegations involving peacekeeping missions in C6te d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, and Mali. As additional reports of sexual exploitation and abuse have emerged in recent years, the SG and U.N. members, including the United States, have adopted reforms to combat the problem. Key issues and challenges include prevalence and reporting, TCC responsibilities, and the status and effectiveness of current U.N. reform efforts. Trends. Since 2007, the United Nations has tracked the number of allegations by peacekeeping mission. As shown in Figure 1, the total number of allegations steadily declined from 127 in 2007 to 52 in 2014. In 2015, however, there were 69 allegations, an increase of 17 from the previous year. As of April 30, 2016, there were 50 allegations. If this trend continues, the number of allegations in 2016 might reach the highest level since 2007. Figure I. Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Allegations for U.N. Personnel by Year Nrmbeo t gatons 127 120 112 30 0 2Q07 20DS 2GfO9 2010 2011 2012 20 13 2014 2D15 Source: U.N. Conduct and Discipline Unit, adapted by CRS. Publicly identifying TCCs. In 2015, to improve U.N. transparency and TCC accountability, the SG publicly released allegations against uniformed personnel by nationality for the first time. According to U.N. data, the TCCs with the highest number of allegations in 2015 and 2016 were DRC (24), Republic of Congo (9), South Africa (8), and Morocco (7). K~:> p\w -- , gn'a', goo mppm qq\ a , q 'S I 11LIANJILiN,

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