STATEMENT OF NEW ZEALAND, OCTOBER, 2015

Another vital aspect of the women and peace and security agenda for the Organization, in particular, is to deal effectively with allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by our own people. It is a stain on the work of the United Nations and of the Council that allegations of such behaviour by United Nations peacekeepers continue to be made with a frequency and particularity that brook no easy dismissal. We have taken some satisfaction from the Secretary-General’s strong statements that such behaviours will not be tolerated and that perpetrators will be held criminally to account. We agree that there must be a means for ensuring that troop- and police-contributing countries exercise criminal jurisdiction over their nationals participating in United Nations operations when such allegations are made. We also agree with the high-level advisory group that States that do not live up to this should not be allowed to participate in future peacekeeping operations. Most of all, we insist that effective action be taken. This, too, is a problem that we must all own if it is to be dealt with effectively.