The world’s foremost human rights defender is confronting human rights violators within its own ranks. The United Nations has to deal with an internal problem concerning a number of sexual harassment complaints. A number of accusers and accused have alleged mishandling of their cases.
Many of them complained that the existing justice system within the U.N. is “arbitrary, unfair and mired in bureaucracy”. Resolution of cases drag and accusers do not have access to investigative reports. Several women who filed harassment raps claim their contracts were not renewed and before they could see justice done, the men they accused had either retired or resigned, severing the U.N. justice system’s jurisdiction over them.
Unlike many large global organizations, the U.N. has a different way of handling complaints. Many UN officials enjoy diplomatic immunity from criminal or civil suits. The filing of cases against them is possible only when the U.N. lifts immunity. If this does not happen, complainants can only rely on advancing their case through the internal justice system.
The current internal justice system is anything but perfect. It involves several investigative channels and multi-layered appellate processes. While the U.N. Administrative Tribunal is the final authority, the secretary-general is vested the power to rule on appeals.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon admits that the internal justice system is “troubled”. He expressed his concern over the string of cases involving sexual harassment and sex discrimination and called this a “scourge” that remains a high priority for him.
In response to this crisis, the U.N. has scheduled an overhaul of its internal justice system to take effect on July 1. The new system aims to replace the slow and complex bureaucratic system with a faster and more professional process. U.N. employees may file complaints with their respective departments, which will then conduct an investigation. Two boards will hear appeals and transmit nonbinding recommendations to the secretary-general who will no longer have authority to rule on appeals. The UN Administrative Tribunal remains the final arbiter.