Ending impunity for crimes committed by UN #Predatorypeacekeepers on #PeaceDay
The UN Secretary-General can waive immunity for serious crimes, but few peacekeepers are prosecuted and still fewer convicted as intervention often occurs in countries with failed judicial systems.
The fourth of the ten rules in the Code of Personal Conduct for Blue Helmets states:
‘Do not indulge in immoral acts of sexual, physical or psychological abuse or exploitation of the local population or UN staff, especially women and children.’ The UN Conduct and Discipline Unit is tasked with handling allegations of misconduct, including maintaining a ‘misconduct tracking system recording allegations from inception to the closure of cases’. In addition to pre-deployment training (including mandatory training on sexual abuse and exploitation) and awareness raising, preventative measures at field level include ‘restriction of movement, curfews, requiring soldiers to wear uniforms outside barracks, designating off-limit areas, non-fraternisation policies, increased patrols around high risk areas and decentralisation of Conduct and Discipline personnel into locations with a potentially high risk of misconduct’.
Members of peacekeeping forces and UN staff have immunity in countries where they are deployed, so when accusations are made the UN has traditionally relied on the home countries of the suspects to render justice.
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