Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has said the United Nations will investigate allegations in a report just released by Save the Children UK that U.N. peacekeeping troops have been involved in sexual exploitation and abuse of children. Ban welcomed the report and stressed that the United Nations has a zero tolerance policy toward these abuses. The policy was adopted after this issue received attention in early 2005, when it was found that U.N. peacekeepers in the Congo had been sexually exploiting women and girls. While the report by Save the Children UK recognized that the United Nations has already taken several steps to combat this problem, it also contained evidence indicating that the problem is still severe. For the full article, click here.
Compiled from: The Associated Press, "UN to investigate report of peacekeepers sexually abusing children," International Herald Tribune, 28 May 2008.