Abstract
This chapter documents the responses to peacekeeping misconduct and how such abuse/violations have been handled by the UN and troop-contributing countries (TCCs), what is lacking, and how a culture of accountability and justice can be established to deter and where necessary prosecute criminal behavior. There is a review of the overall number of SEA occurrences and how the difficulties of enforcing criminal accountability have created a culture of impunity and immunity for UN peacekeepers. Selected cases are used to substantiate the claim that the UN’s zero tolerance for SEA, since the 2005 Zeid report, has in practice done little to change the TCCs’ zero action. The 2015 UN Report of the External Independent Review Panel is discussed along with other pressing concerns and reform suggestions.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bangladesh: Sending Death Squads to Keep the UN’s Peace. (2014). Asian Centre for Human Rights. June. Retrieved June 19, 2015, from http://www.achrweb.org/reports/DPKO-Bangladesh.pdf.
Burke, R. (2012). Troop-discipline and sexual offences by UN military peacekeepers: The UN’s response—Moving beyond the current status quo? Centre for International Governance and Justice, Strengthening the Rule of Law Through the United Nations Security Council Workshop Paper Series, Working Paper No. 1.5. Retrieved June 19, 2015, from http://www.regnet.anu.edu.au/research/publications/2945/working-paper-no-15-troop-discipline-and-sexual-offences-un-military.
CEPR, Center for Economic and Policy Research. (2012a). MINUSTAH officers found guilty of rape–But get just one year in prison. Retrieved March 13, 2012, from https://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/minustah-officers-found-guilty-of-rape-but-get-just-one-year-in-prison.
CEPR, Center for Economic and Policy Research. (2012b, September 4). Reduced charges against Uruguayan MINUSTAH troops latest example of lack of UN accountability. Retrieved from July 19, 2015, http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/reduced-charges-against-uruguayan-minustah-troops-latest-example-of-lack-of-un-accountability.
Csáky, C. (2008). No one to turn to: The under-reporting of child sexual exploitation and abuse by aid workers and peacekeepers. Save the Children UK.
Comprehensive Strategy to Eliminate Future Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (Zeid Report). (2005, March 24). United Nations General Assembly. http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/59/710.
Cumming-Brucejan, N. (2016, January 29). Peacekeepers accused of sexual abuse in Central African Republic. New York Times, p. A9.
Deschamps, M., Jallow, H. B., & Yasmin, S. (2015, December 17). Report of an independent review on sexual exploitation and abuse by international peacekeeping forces in the Central African Republic. Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/centafricrepub/Independent-Review-Report.pdf.
Durch, W., & England, M. L. (2009, September). Ending impunity: New tools for criminal accountability in UN peace operations. Stimson Center Report. Issue Brief.
Durch, W. J., Andrews, K. N., England, M. L., & Weed, M. C. (2009). Improving criminal accountability in United Nations Peace Operations. Stimson Center Report No. 65. Retrieved May 11, 2014, from http://www.stimson.org/images/uploads/research-pdfs/Improving_Criminal_Accountability_June2009.pdf.
Ferstman, C. (2013). Criminalizing sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers. United States Institute of Peace Special Report No. 335. Retrieved May 14, 2014, from http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR335-Criminalizing%20Sexual%20Exploitation%20and%20Abuse%20by%20Peacekeepers.pdf.
Fox, R., & Presse, A. F. (1997, June 24). Belgian UN troops admit to ‘Roasting’ Somali boy. Daily Telegraph.
Hampson, F. (2005, July 7). Administration of justice, rule of law and democracy: Working paper on the accountability of international personnel taking part in peace support operations submitted by Françoise Hampson. United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Retrieved June 29, 2015, from http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G05/148/03/PDF/G0514803.pdf?OpenElement.
HIPPO. (2015). Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects. United Nations Security Council. Retrieved April 1, 2016, from http://www.un.org/sg/pdf/HIPPO_Report_1_June_2015.pdf.
Human Rights Watch. (2014). The power these men have over us. Retrieved June 19, 2015, from https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/09/08/power-these-men-have-over-us/sexual-exploitation-and-abuse-african-union-forces.
Jennings, K. M. (2008). Protecting whom? Approaches to sexual exploitation and abuse in UN peacekeeping operations. FAFO. Retrieved June 19, 2015, from http://www.fafo.no/media/com_netsukii/20078.pdf.
Moon, B.-Ki. (2015, June 3). Statement attributable to the secretary-general on allegations of sexual abuse in the Central African Republic. Retrieved June 29, 2015, from http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=8699.
Ndulo, M. (2009). The United Nations responses to the sexual abuse and exploitation of women and girls by peacekeepers during peacekeeping missions. Berkeley Journal of International Law, 27(1), 127–161. Retrieved June 19, 2015, from http://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1058&context=facpub.
New York Times. (1997, August 9). Italy says its soldiers tortured Somalis, News Report. New York Times.
Office of Internal Oversight Services. (2015). Evaluation of the enforcement and remedial assistance efforts for sexual exploitation and abuse by the United Nations and related personnel in Peacekeeping Operations, Report No IED-15-001 (15 May 2015). Retrieved June 19, 2015, from https://oios.un.org/page?slug=evaluation-report.
Report of the Secretary General. (2015). The future of United Nations peace operations: implementation of the recommendations of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations. United Nations Security Council. Retrieved April 1, 2016, from http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/N1527074.pdf.
Simi’c, O. (2012). Regulation of sexual conduct in UN peacekeeping operations. Berlin: Springer.
Simi’c, O. (2013, November). Distinguishing between exploitative and non-exploitative sex involving UN peacekeepers: The wrongs of ‘Zero Tolerance’. Norwegian Peace building Resource Centre Expert Analysis. Retrieved July 17, 2015, from http://peacebuilding.no/var/ezflow_site/storage/original/application/18283244a25599f4883ec5e6ea0d255d.pdf.
Smith, A., & Boutellis, A. (2012, January 26). A UN peacekeeping blacklist? IPI Global Observatory. Retrieved June 17, 2015, from http://theglobalobservatory.org/2012/01/a-un-peacekeeping-blacklist/.
Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. (2003). Secretary-General’s Bulletin. October 9. Retrieved June 17, 2015, from https://oios.un.org/resources/2015/01/ST-SGB-2003-13.pdf.
Stecklow, S., & Lauria, J. (2010, March 22). U.N. Mum on probes of sex-abuse allegations. Wall Street Journal, p. A1, A18. Retrieved May 6, 2015, from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704188104575083334130312808.
Stern, J. (2015, February). Reducing sexual exploitation and abuse in UN peacekeeping: Ten years after the Zeid Report. Civilians in Conflict, Policy Brief No. 1. Retrieved May 6, 2015, from http://www.stimson.org/images/uploads/research-pdfs/Policy-Brief-Sexual-Abuse-Feb-2015-WEB.pdf.
Sweetser, C. E. (2008). Providing effective remedies to victims of abuse by peacekeeping personnel. New York University Law Review, 83, 1643–1678. Retrieved March 6, 2015, from http://www.nyulawreview.org/sites/default/files/pdf/NYULawReview-83-5-Sweetser.pdf.
UNGA. (2006). Criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission. Retrieved March 16, 2015, from https://cdu.unlb.org/Portals/0/Documents/KeyDoc14.pdf.
United Nations. (2016). UN officials name countries whose troops are accused of sexually abusing minors in Central African Republic. Retrieved February 1, 2016, from http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53120#.Vrduv2rluAI.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Akonor, K. (2017). Responses to Peacekeeping Misconduct. In: UN Peacekeeping in Africa. SpringerBriefs in Criminology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39162-5_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39162-5_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-39160-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-39162-5
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)