UN watchdog cites sexual abuse, corruption in UN-run Kosovo

UN watchdog cites sexual abuse, corruption in UN-run Kosovo
Agence France Presse (English) - October 18, 2005 Tuesday 10:49 PM GMT

UNITED NATIONS Oct 18 - The UN internal watchdog office has documented a sharp hike in reported cases of sexual abuse by peacekeepers and systemic corruption by public companies in Serbia's UN-run province of Kosovo, according to a report made public Tuesday.

The report by the UN Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) also highlighted cases of fuel theft at various UN peacekeeping missions around the world.

"Owing to the above-mentioned sharp increase in reported cases of serious misconduct, in particular cases of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeeping personnel, it is evident that the discipline of peacekeeping and other personnel has become one of the main issues that the organization needs to address," the report said.

It said the surge in the number of reports of sexual misconduct and abuse at UN peacekeeping missions and duty stations had led to new procedures and additional resources to launch probes and train personnel.

"Auditors noted that training was insufficient and that, except for sexual abuse cases, complaints were not properly recorded or filed," the report said.

"There were also no clear procedures in missions for personnel to make complaints and, in many instances, inadequate systems to follow up on complaints."

In Kosovo, OIOS said it was backing up a probe by the UN mission there focusing on systemic corruption in publicly owned firms.

It added that investigators had spent 18 months poring over the most significant charges of corruption concerning Pristina airport and have highlighted several criminal referrals and administrative violations.

The investigators were notably probing the energy sector, mainly the Kosovo energy firm Korporata Energjetike e Kosoves.

Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations and NATO since a bombing campaign by the military alliance forced Serbian forces to end a 1998-1999 crackdown against separatists in the province's Albanian majority.

The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has a total staff of 5,508.

The OIOS study also documented cases of thefts of large amounts of fuel at peacekeeping missions by UN personnel working in collusion with local nationals.

It called procurement "one of the most significant risks to the organization in terms of the potential for inefficiency, uneconomical contracting, fraud, corruption and abuse."

Last month management lapses and evidence of corruption in the UN oil-for-food program for Iraq led to calls at a world summit here for tighter UN management pratices and greater accountability.

As part of this effort to enhance staff accountability and identify potential conflict of interest, the world body on Tuesday published new rules calling for financial disclosure forms to be completed by all staff at the level of director or above.