First reported in the early 1990s, sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) perpetrated by UN peacekeepers against host community members is now recognized as an endemic issue.
Reports of SEA have tarnished the reputations of peace support operations in Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, East Timor, Mozambique, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Somalia. Peacekeeper-perpetrated SEA includes sexual assault, trafficking, forced prostitution, child pornography, abduction, transactional sex, and exploitative sexual interactions. More consensual relations between adult host community members and peacekeeping personnel have also been well described. The consequences of SEA-related misconduct are wide and far reaching. In instances where children are conceived as a result, the children and their mothers often face stigmatization and discrimination, as well as economic and social hardships.
Our project investigates the main factors that lead to UN peacekeeper SEA as well as the life experiences peacekeeper- - fathered children and their mothers.
Click the linked logos below to access additional information about peacekeeper perpetrated SEA
The Code Blue Campaign works to eradicate impunity for sexual crimes committed by UN staff.
United Nations
Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
Office of the Victims' Rights Advocate (OVRA)
The OVRA focuses on preventing and responding to sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel and preserving the rights of victims.
United Nations
Conduct in UN Field Missions
Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
The UN's database on sexual exploitation and abuse. Includes information on all allegations made since 2015.