On September 13, the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights held a hearing, “Assessing U.S. Policy on Peacekeeping Operations in Africa.” The hearing examined the effectiveness of U.S. peacekeeping operations in Africa, and highlighted the importance of focusing United Nations (UN) efforts on the prevention of human trafficking and gender-based violence.
In his opening statement, Chair Chris Smith (R-NJ) addressed the issue of sexual exploitation by peacekeeping personnel, saying, “We will be inquiring as to how well the UN is implementing its zero-tolerance policy with respect to human trafficking and other forms of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeeping personnel…The Trafficking Victims Protection Act [P.L. 106-386] that I sponsored in 2000 and its reauthorizations also contain provisions related to peacekeeping operations, including the prevention of human trafficking by peacekeeping personnel as part of the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons.” He continued, “Sex trafficking and other forms of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeeping personnel is an issue of serious concern. UN peacekeeping missions have been subject to repeated accusations of sexual exploitation and abuse of local women and girls by foreign peacekeepers since 2001. The UN claims it has effectively addressed this problem, but we need to ensure that the blue helmets that are supposed to instill hope that peace is at hand don’t create fear of abuse by the very protectors sent to help.”
In her opening statement, Ranking Member Karen Bass (D-CA) discussed the importance of continually evaluating the peacekeeping process, saying, “Over the last decade, the UN Security Council, with support from the Bush and Obama Administrations, authorized a nearly three-fold increase in the number of peacekeeping personnel serving in the field. The reason for this is clear – UN peacekeeping operations are firmly in America’s interest. Countries undergoing conflict threaten the national and economic security of the U.S., risk becoming safe havens for terrorists and criminals, and often feature serious problems of human rights abuses and human deprivation.” She continued, focusing on the issue of sexual violence and exploitation: “Addressing abuse and sexual exploitation must continue to be prioritized. The Prevention, Enforcement and Remedial Action Strategy carried out by the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support must be implemented and routinely evaluated: What is the assessment of training programs of military and police personnel? Are the peacekeepers that perpetrate and exploit those they are charged to protect held to account?”
The Honorable Esther Brimmer, assistant secretary of the Bureau of International Organization Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, discussed UN efforts to combat gender-based violence in her testimony, saying, “We have made substantial progress in providing peacekeepers with the tools they need to respond swiftly and effectively to sexual and gender-based violence. UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820 were fundamental international agreements that enabled and empowered UN and regional peacekeeping missions and the humanitarian community to combat the imminent threat of sexual violence within the context of conflict.” She continued, “A core principle across all missions is the effective implementation of the UN’s policy of zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). This must be upheld by all categories of UN personnel: military, police and civilians. The United States has pressed hard to develop procedures and programs on training and guidance, oversight, investigation, accountability, and assistance to victims of sexual misconduct. This is an important issue, and efforts continue to deal with it. We have seen progress over the past few years in reducing the incidence of SEA, along with some commendable, swift, and appropriate responses by governments whose peacekeepers have committed such offenses – including the actions of the governments of Uruguay and Pakistan to put their personnel on trial for egregious misconduct. The UN itself is revising its internal procedures for tracking cases, and actively exploring ways to improve both its screening process and its ability to follow up on actions taken by governments. We also successfully have pressed the UN to implement measures that withhold reimbursement to TCCs [Troop Contributing Countries] for troops who have engaged in sexual exploitation and abuse – the first time that a direct linkage has been made between performance and reimbursement in UN peacekeeping.”
The Honorable Johnnie Carson, assistant secretary of the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, also testified
