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UN to vote on axing abusive peacekeepers

Friday, 11 March 2016 6:39 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 11 March 2016 6:38 PM ]

UN Security Council (AFP Photo)

The UN Security Council is set to vote on a resolution aimed at removing countries with abusive soldiers from peacekeeping missions.

For the first time, the UN Security Council is set to vote on Friday on a US-drafted resolution that aims to put an end to missions committing sexual abuse on populations in conflict zones.

Last week, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon released a report that showed a rise in the number of allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers, from 52 in 2014 to 69 last year.

The draft resolution, which has been under intense negotiation for a week, endorses a UN decision to send peacekeeping units home "where there is credible evidence of widespread or systemic sexual exploitation and abuse by that unit."

The measure directs the UN secretary general to replace all the peacekeeping units from a country if no action is taken to investigate allegations set forth against their nationals.

Under UN rules, it is the responsibility of all countries that contribute troops as peacekeepers to investigate and prosecute any soldier accused of misconduct while serving under the UN flag.

The resolution, if adopted, will effectively expel a country from UN peacekeeping missions when their soldiers face repeated allegations of sex abuse.

The council will convene at 3:00 pm (2000 GMT) to decide on the measure.

UN diplomats said they expected the resolution to be approved by the 15-member council.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Ambassador Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta spoke against the resolution describing it as “collective punishment" when only "a handful" of abusive soldiers needed to be punished for their individual actions.

More than 120 countries contribute soldiers and police officers to UN peacekeeping missions.

This AFP photo taken on February 11, 2016, in Bangui in the Central African Republic, shows three children claiming to be involved in sex abuses committed by UN peacekeepers on minors.

Last year, Ban ordered troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo to be sent home after their soldiers were accused of sexual abuse in the Central African Republic.

The UN employs 125,000 troops and police officers in its peace missions across the globe.

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