Investigation Into Sexual Exploitation of Refugees by Aid Workers in West Africa

A/RES/57/306View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 122 Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, published in 2003.

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

11 reports · 2004–2016

Year	Symbol	Title	Mandate resolution
2016	A/70/729	Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/57/306
2015	A/69/779	Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/57/306
2014	A/68/756	Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/57/306
2013	A/67/766	Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/57/306
2012	A/66/699	Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/57/306

What subjects does this mandate have?

13 subjects

Accountability Codes of Conduct Coordination Within UN System Crime Prevention Displaced Persons Internal Investigations Peacekeeping Operations Programmes of Action Refugee Camps Refugees Relief Personnel Sex Crimes West Africa

What’s in this document?

12 operative paragraphs

Takes note of the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the investigation into sexual exploitation by aid workers in West Africa;1

Expresses its serious concern that the conditions in refugee camps and communities may make refugees, especially women and children, vulnerable to sexual and other forms of exploitation;

Condemns any exploitation of refugees and internally displaced persons, especially sexual exploitation, and calls for those responsible for such deplorable acts to be brought to justice;

Emphasizes the need to create an environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse in humanitarian crises through, inter alia, integrating the prevention of and response to sexual exploitation and abuse into the protection and assistance functions of all humanitarian and peacekeeping personnel;

Notes with appreciation the Plan of Action³ developed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Task Force on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Humanitarian Crises, and encourages all relevant agencies to pursue its effective and appropriate implementation;

³See A/57/465, annex I.

Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the remedial and preventive measures taken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and its implementing partners, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations Secretariat, in response to recommendations of the Office of Internal Oversight Services are extended, as appropriate, to all peacekeeping missions, refugee camps, refugee-related operations and other humanitarian operations;

Also requests the Secretary-General to ensure that, in response to recommendations of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, clear and consistent procedures for impartially reporting and investigating instances of sexual exploitation and related offences are in place in all United Nations peacekeeping missions and humanitarian operations;

Encourages all United Nations organizations, funds and programmes, and specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations, to incorporate into codes of conduct specific responsibilities of humanitarian aid workers to prevent and respond appropriately to sexual exploitation and abuse and to adopt appropriate disciplinary procedures for dealing with such violations when they occur;

Recognizes the shared responsibility, within their respective competencies, of United Nations organizations and agencies and troop-contributing countries to ensure that all personnel are held accountable for sexual exploitation and related offences committed while serving in humanitarian and peacekeeping operations;

Requests the Secretary-General, in response to recommendations of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, to maintain data on investigations into sexual exploitation and related offences, irrespective of age and gender, by humanitarian and peacekeeping personnel, and all relevant actions taken thereon;

Recalls its decision that reports of the Office of Internal Oversight Services should be considered under the relevant items of the agenda of the General Assembly;

Requests the Secretary-General, in his implementation of the measures pursuant to the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, to proceed expeditiously also with the implementation of the present resolution, inter alia, by issuing as soon as possible his bulletin on sexual exploitation and abuse, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session, including information on any new cases of sexual exploitation revealed and the measures taken to deal with such cases.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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