UN General Assembly holds briefing on sexual exploitation, abuse

The UN General Assembly on Friday held an informal briefing on the sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), with senior UN officials underlining the importance of enough resources for the UN assistance to victims.

At the briefing, the UN under-secretary-general for field support, Atul Khare, stressed that the provision of assistance to victims is an area where experience has shown that the UN needs additional resources and strong collaboration among peacekeeping.

Khare indicated that the United Nations made progress in facilitating paternity and child support claims against peacekeepers.

He also reiterated that if allegations are substantiated, the United Nations will take all action within its control, and added that the UN counts on member states to work together to bring those who have committed these shameful acts to justice.

"This must be our collective effort," he said.

Meanwhile, the special coordinator on improving the UN's response to these types of abuses, Jane Holl Lute, also briefed the 193-member General Assembly on her visits to the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

She stressed that every personnel, every soldier, every police officer needed to join the fight against SEA, and to develop tools to measure the efficiency of the UN measures.

Source: XINHUA