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Overview
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Read This Document
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Papers by Same Organization
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Peacekeepers and humanitarian aid workers from the UN Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) have recently been accused of having been involved in sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). Despite specific training on gender issues, and the creation of a specific Code of Conduct for MONUC personnel, SEA continues to be committed by UN Personnel. This paper focuses on the complexities of gendered relations in Congo, and attempts to develop recommendations on how best to respond to the problems. The paper looks into the ways in which UN personnel in MONUC perceive themselves in relation to the local population, focussing on three perspectives: expatriates, humanitarian workers, or members of a particular national military. Each of these perspectives is then elaborated upon, in the context of their impacts on gendered relations between the personnel and the local population. The unequal position of the individual MONUC soldier is put into perspective based on two factors: the relative personal stability that each soldier seemingly has in his/her life; and the amount of money that each soldier receives per day for the duration of their tour of duty. These conditions, the paper argues, skew gendered relations and often lead to the facilitation of ‘survival’ and ‘commercial’ sexual relations with local women. The paper also examines the Code of Conduct for peacekeepers, and notes that despite being very thorough and explicit in its approach to the missions, very few sanctions exist within the Code, and even fewer are practiced, if derogations are reported/observed. Given this caveat of complexities, the paper develops a list of recommendations aimed at educating peacekeepers and encouraging them to be more sensitive in their relations with the local Congolese population. Some of the main recommendations include:- large-scale research is still needed into the gender dimensions of PSOs
- in-mission gender training needs to be developed in scale and breadth, and must involve stakeholders from civil society, as well as utilise both men and women in the delivery of the training
- MONUC mechanisms for accountability must be sharpened and made more transparent, and responsibility must rest on the highest echelons of command. Senior personnel must also be familiarised with the complex dimensions of SEA
- A well publicised procedure of complaints, with emphasis on confidentiality must be developed and implemented. It should be available to the wider population as well as UN personnel
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| Produced by: Institute for Security Studies (ISS) |
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