Secretary-General to Set Up External Review to Examine United Nations Handling of Sexual Abuse Allegations in Central African Republic

The following statement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was issued today:

In light of the recent serious allegations of sexual abuse against children in the Central African Republic by foreign troops not under the authority of the United Nations, the Secretary-General has decided to set up an external independent review to examine the UN system’s handling of these allegations.

The review will examine the treatment of the specific report of abuse in the Central African Republic, as well as a broad range of systemic issues related to how the UN responds to serious information of this kind.

As has been stated over the past few weeks, the Secretary-General is deeply disturbed by the allegations of sexual abuse by soldiers in the Central African Republic, as well as allegations of how this was handled by the various parts of the UN system involved.  His intention in setting up this review is to ensure that the United Nations does not fail the victims of sexual abuse, especially when committed by those who are meant to protect them.

In the next few days, we will announce who will lead this review and its terms of reference.