2007 Trafficking in Persons Report - Center for Women Policy Studies

I n t e r n at i o n a l P e a c e k e e p e r s
Stopping Human Trafficking, Sexual Exploitation,
and Abuse by International Peacekeepers
In response to a Congressional mandate, this section summarizes actions taken by some key
international organizations to eliminate trafficking in persons or the exploitation of victims of trafficking.
This is the second year of reporting on the United Nations (UN), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Beginning with the 2008
Trafficking in Persons Report, the Department of State will also assess the efforts of national governments
to prevent their nationals, deployed abroad as part of a peacekeeping or similar mission, from engaging
in or facilitating human trafficking. Governments are ultimately responsible for holding their own
nationals accountable.
UNITED NATIONS (UN)
Situation
In 2002, humanitarian personnel in West Africa
were accused of sexually exploiting refugee children,
primarily girls. Sixty-seven aid workers from
more than 40 agencies were accused of offering
children money, food, and promises of education
in exchange for sex. While many of the allegations
were anecdotal it was clear that there was
a problem which had to be addressed. The wide
publicity given to these allegations led humanitarian
organizations to implement strict standards
of conduct for employees and volunteers. UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a 2003 bulletin
entitled Special Measures for Protection from Sexual
Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13) for
all UN personnel. The bulletin characterizes sexual
exploitation and abuse as acts of serious misconduct,
and subject to disciplinary action.
Unfortunately, similar reports came to light. In
2004 some 150 additional allegations of sexual
misconduct were made against UN military and
civilian peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC). As a result, Secretary-General
Annan designated Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein,
Jordanian Ambassador to the UN, to be his
Special Advisor on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
by UN Peacekeeping Personnel. Prince Zeid and
his team traveled to the DRC in October 2004,
and reported that there was “zero compliance with
zero tolerance” in response to the 2003 policy
against sexual exploitation. Congo’s Minister of
Defense, Major General Jean Pierre Ondekane,
was quoted in a December 23, 2004 article in
The Times (UK) as saying that “peacekeepers” in
Kisangani would be remembered for “running
after little girls.”
Prince Zeid’s final report, released in March
2005, contained extensive recommendations for
top-down reform of the UN system to address
problems of sexual misconduct by UN peacekeepers.
The 2005 UN General Assembly endorsed
and broadened Prince Zeid’s recommendations,
making them applicable to civilian as well as to
military peacekeeping personnel. In addition to
the steps being taken to eliminate sexual exploitation
and abuse of vulnerable populations by UN
peacekeepers, UN agencies system-wide have
developed or are developing standards of conduct
for their personnel. Non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) involved in humanitarian programs
are taking similar steps.
Below is the status of key UN reforms that have
been completed or are on-going, and those that
have not been finalized.
“It is because international
peacekeepers and aid workers
have such an important physical
and emblematic status—
representing the international
aspirations of human dignity,
security and civilian protection—
that their abuse of their position
is considered, by so many, so
unacceptable.”
— The The Shame of War: Sexual Violence
against Women and Girls in Conflict, UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs,
February 2007.
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