InterAction issues report on sexual exploitation

Many factors may explain the vulnerability of displaced people to sexual exploitation but there are "no excuses" for its occurrence, US-based NGOs said in a just released document titled 'Report of the InterAction Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation of Displaced Children'. The report was done by a five-member task force mandated by InterAction, an alliance of US-based NGOs, to look into the causes of sexual exploitation in refugee and IDP camps in West Africa and suggest ways to prevent such abuses. The group "did not investigate the allegations of abuses, but focused on actions that humanitarian agencies should take to prevent the abuse of displaced children," InterAction said in a statement. Scarcity of relief supplies, exploitation of power, the vulnerability of the displaced, their lack of awareness of their right to protection and assistance, weaknesses in training, monitoring and accountability of UN agencies and partner NGOs were all cited as contributing factors. Among other recommendations, the task force asked all organisations to stress to their employees that "exchange of money, employment, goods and services for sex is prohibited". It called on member agencies of InterAction to adopt or revise their codes of conduct, policies and accountability mechanisms. To the international community the Task Force recommended: joint monitoring mechanisms at the camp, country and regional level; an increased presence of protection officers and experienced managerial staff, particularly women in the camps; and a reevaluation of aid levels and strategies to increase self-sufficiency among the displaced. The recommendations follow a report issued earlier this year by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and Save The Children-UK highlighting cases of sexual exploitation perpetrated by humanitarian workers, members of security forces and other individuals in camps in West Africa. InterAction is a voluntary membership alliance of 160 US-based NGOs involved in humanitarian and development assistance in developing countries. [The full report is available at http://www.interaction.org/library/detail.php?id=562]