As part of the United Nations zero tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation, the world body’s mission in Sudan agreed with the Government and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Thursday to set up a joint task force.
The agreement was reached during a one-day workshop in the Sudanese capital Khartoum that focused on policies aimed at preventing sexual exploitation and abuse being committed by military personnel, including peacekeepers, humanitarian workers and others.
The Task force’s mandate is to coordinate measures to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation; ensure more effective communication on the subject between all actors concerned from the UN and the Government of Sudan; and review existing mechanisms for reporting, response and follow up on allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation.
This latest move to prevent and clamp down upon sexual exploitation comes after recent media reports of abuses by UN peacekeepers in southern Sudan, something that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other top officials have adamantly declared will not be tolerated.
