As part of the United Nations zero tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation, the world body?s mission in Sudan today agreed with the Government and the UN Children?s Fund (UNICEF) to set up a joint task force to foster coordination, information-sharing and action to stamp out the problem wherever it may occur.
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,? according to a joint press release.
The meeting took place at the initiative of the Sudanese National Council for Child Welfare (NCCW), and as well as involving the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and UNICEF, the African U_nion Mission in Sudan (AMIS) also took part.
Participants acknowledged that sexual exploitation and abuse occur in most communities fragmented by conflict and devastated by war and poverty, and also that these acts are not exclusive to UN personnel, military or civilian, humanitarian workers or armed forces and armed groups of the country concerned.