Monday, March 18, 2019

As SG Guterres Covers Up UN Rapes He Brags Only 17% Were Of Children Goes Off Record Banning Press


By Matthew Russell Lee, Video here, Vine here


UNITED NATIONS GATE, March 18 -- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says he has a "zero tolerance" policy for sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment, and for retaliation. But on March 15 he took his administration's "press briefing" about UN sexual abuse off the record, in a room he has banned Inner City Press which most asks about it from for 257 days. Disgusted UN interlocutors had already leaked the report that was the subject of this shamefully collusive briefing to Inner City Press which nevertheless voluntarily decided to abide by the printed 18 March 10 am embargo. 

Now here's from Guterres' report: "54 allegations reported in 2018... the majority (74 per cent) of the allegations received in 2018 emanated from MINUSCA and MONUSCO, with the remaining 26 per cent associated with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, MINUSTAH, the United Nations Mission in Liberia and UNMISS... The allegations reported for peacekeeping missions were associated with 94 victims, of whom 83 per cent were adults and 17 per cent were children. Alleged perpetrators included 64 military, 14 police and 14 civilian personnel. Of the allegations reported in 2018, 20 (37 per cent) involved sexual abuse and 34 (63 per cent) sexual exploitation of an adult. 71. Underreporting of allegations implicating personnel from other United Nations entities and non-United Nations personnel working with implementing partners is a continuing concern (see A/71/818). In 2018, 94 allegations against United Nations personnel in entities other than peacekeeping were reported. Reports of allegations related to personnel of implementing partners has increased, from 25 in 2017 to 109 in 2018, suggesting that awareness-raising and outreach efforts are having an impact and that there is increased trust among victims and witnesses and increased understanding of the need to report." So when the numbers go up, it's good news too. Inner City Press has asked, "March 18-1: On the SEA report which was not sent to Inner City Press by the UN but by others, and which Inner City Press voluntarily refrained from reporting on until the 10 am deadline, please before 10 am explain (a) six allegations were considered conduct in violation of non-fraternization policies and not to contain indications of sexual exploitation or abuse - question: did these cases not involve sex? (b) four allegations involved sexual harassment, physical assault and paternity claims, which were considered not to contain indications of sexual exploitation and abuse - question: isn't fathering a child with a beneficiary of UN "assistance" per se exploitation? (c) three allegations involved sexual assaults between United Nations personnel, but not with beneficiaries of assistance - question: confirm this was "blue on blue," on which the UN has previously refused to answer Inner City Press; (d) one allegation involved a member of United Nations personnel not associated with a peacekeeping mission; one allegation did not involve sexual exploitation and abuse - question - what are the bases of these statement?; and one allegation was received by OIOS in 2018 but will be recorded in 2019, once it is referred to the Member State concerned - question: what is the member state concerned and what have they done, as of 18 March 2019?" The report states, "The Special Coordinator will prioritize achieving timeliness, accuracy and consistency in reporting across all levels of the Organization in 2019." That is false - Guterres and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric refuse to answer basic requests by Inner City Press for if-asked information they have about UN rapes but choose to cover up. Then there ar the agencies: "In 2018, there was an increase in the rate of reporting of sexual exploitation and abuse at WFP, with its investigations office receiving significantly more reports in 2018 (11 involving WFP personnel and 8 related to its implementing partners) than it had in the previous 12 years (19 in 2018 alone; 26 over the previous 12 years). It is difficult to determine the extent to which the increase is attributable to an increase in incidents or whether outreach efforts have encouraged reporting by staff. There was an increase in the number of allegations reported at UNHCR during the fourth quarter of 2017, which stabilized in 2018. Thirty-four allegations involving UNHCR personnel were received in 2018, compared with 19 in 2017. During the same period, allegations concerning UNHCR implementing partners increased, from 20 to 83. I attribute those figures in part to the UNHCR strengthened global network of 380 focal points on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse and efforts to raise awareness and encourage victims to report. UNICEF scaled up training for staff and partners, updated its programme cooperation agreement template to strengthen reporting and broadened prevention and response measures. In 2018, there was an increase in the number of reports of allegations at UNICEF (15 in 2018, compared with 8 in 2017). Of those 15 allegations, 12 involved implementing partners, compared with 4 in 2017." Great partners. A fish rots from the head.  On 18 February 2019, the 229th day in a row Guterres has banned the UN, yet two more sexual abuse and exploitation allegations against the Cameroon "peacekeepers" Guterres negligently uses were published - including an attempted rape in CAR - with details withheld. Photo herealso including transactional sex by a South African peacekeeper in the DRC. Then on February 19, while refusing to provide basic information about this UN rape, Guterres announced... more advisers. "United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today that he has appointed seven distinguished experts to serve on the newly established Civil Society Advisory Board on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. The aim of the Board is to foster closer interaction with civil society and external experts and organizations as part of the United Nations efforts to combat sexual exploitation and abuse.      The functions of the Board include advising the Secretary-General on ways to strengthen preventive measures and accountability mechanisms to address sexual exploitation and abuse by both United Nations personnel and non-United Nations forces operating pursuant to a Security Council mandate.  Members of the Board serve in their personal capacity and will not receive any compensation or remuneration. The members are as follows:     Ms. Joy Ezeilo (Nigeria)  Ms. Rosa Freedman (UK)  Mr. Pablo de Greiff (Colombia)  Ms. Adrijana Hanušić Bećirović (Bosnia and Herzegovina)  Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid (Morocco)  Mr. Vitit Muntarbhorn (Thailand)  Mr. Muna B. Ndulo (Zambia)." This is a fraud.Guterres has gotten worse, withholding previously provided if-asked information. Inner City Press has asked: "February 12-2: On sexual abuse and exploitation and the UN's and its TCCs' increasing lack of transparency, what is the SG's comment and action on the report today from Serbia that "The United Nations states that it was a complaint that was received in January, that it was an alleged victim and that the proceedings against the suspected leader were also within the UN and Serbia. The Ministry of Defense did not answer the question of the Whistleblower whether an investigation and a disciplinary procedure is being conducted against that member of the Serbian Armed Forces.... the case of sexual exploitation for which the suspected Serbian soldier was first reported by an independent American journalist Matthew Lee, who has been writing about abuses in the United Nations for years." Explain why you have refused to provide the if-asked information Inner City Press requested." On 6 February 2019, the 217th day Guterres has banned Inner City Press, the UN at 5 pm put on its website another allegation about UN sexual exploitation, this time in the Central African Republic Haq's boss Stephane Dujarric had just been praising in connection with new rep Mankeur Ndiaye that day at noon. This time, unlike the protected Nigerian in South Sudan, below, the nationality was disclosed: Serbian. But everything else is "pending." This is not disclosure. On the morning of February 7 Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres, Alison Smale, Amina J. Mohammed, Farhan Haq and Dujarric who joked that it was Friday, "February 7-1: On UN Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, please immediately provide the additional if-asked information about the new case(s) in CAR by the Serbian peacekeeper - and the long requested information about the Cameroonian peacekeepers' alleged rapes in CAR and explain why this has not been provided for eight weeks. Please now provide on the new South Sudan and 3-month old Cameroon rape cases all further if-asked information about these abuses, as for example you did when asked in person by those not banned from the previous briefing about the Nigerian peacekeeper(s)." And even worse than in the initial period of their banning of Inner City Press which asks - others don't - there was no answer at all, by 7 pm. This is Guterres' UN covering up sexual exploitation. The cover up is completeInner City Press immediately emailed him, his deputy, Guterres' Global Censor Alison Smale, Amina J. Mohammed, Maria Luiza Viotti, Hua Jiang and others: "This is a request to immediately be emailed the UN sexual exploitation and abuse data rattled off in the noon briefing Inner City Press remains banned from, and reiterates UNSR David Kaye's 20 July 2018 questionwhat is the appeals process for this ban, still not answered." The briefing ended with Dujarric joking with his softball interlocutor, to whom he'd said "Vannina in my office has more information," videohere, presumably gone and returned Vannina Maestracci. But when Inner City Press emailed Dujarric and his deputy for this additional information, the deputy Farhan Haq sent no additional information, claiming "The data provided below is exactly  the same as the data shared with the accredited press.  For comparisons, please look at the Conduct and Discipline Unit website, which includes previous data." But that's only peacekeeper, not civilian staff information, much less UNSC authorized forces. What's the additional information that Dujarric said Maestracci has? From thpast, before Dujarric and Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up and banned: onetwothreestrikes and you're out. .. On October 24 - UN Day, and the 112th day Guterres has banned Inner City Press -- the UN data dumped at 11 am a rape charge against a UN Volunteer in DR Congo, as recent as August 2018. Photo here. But no one let into the UN noon briefing even asked about it, or any question about anything in Africa where the UN - and Guterres' son Pedro Guimarães e Melo De Oliveira Guterres- raise their money.