TOLERANCE POLICY EVOLVES

Kofi Annan has announced a new policy allowing "zero tolerance" of sexual exploitation by peace-keepers. This replaces the U.N.'s existing policy of taking "zero notice" of sexual exploitation. Anyway, this harsh new policy has been a long time in the making:

Three years ago, the Secretary-General instituted special measures spelling out prohibited sexual conduct applied to all UN staff, as well as uniformed personnel. In his remarks to the conference, he said those steps had been effective.

“Today, our personnel are better informed about what is expected of them. Allegations of exploitation and abuse are being handled in a more systematic and professional manner. Staff who commit such acts are being fired. And uniformed peacekeeping personnel are being sent home and barred from future peacekeeping service, and also in the expectation that their own governments will deal with them.”

Sexual predators can probably expect their crimes will go unpunished:

Under UN regulations, military personnel cannot be prosecuted in the country where they are serving, and it is up to the courts in their home countries to prosecute crimes committed.

The UN said it had firm knowledge of only two concrete examples of sex offenders being sent to jail, although it believed there could be others it did not know about.

More resolute action from the inert U.N. bureaucracy.