CAR / SAUNDERS SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE

STORY: CAR / SAUNDERS SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE
TRT: 02:34
SOURCE: MINUSCA
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 24 SEPTEMBER 2022, BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICA REPUBLIC

SHOTLIST:

1. Med shot, Christian Saunders and interviewer
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Saunders Special Coordinator on Improving the United Nations Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse:
"There is no place for sexual exploitation and abuse in the United Nations, and if you commit sexual exploitation and abuse, you will be punished. You will be held to account for your actions. And that may very well mean that you lose your job. It may also mean that there are criminal investigations against you, and you may go to jail.”
3. Med shot, Christian Saunders and interviewer
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Saunders Special Coordinator on Improving the United Nations Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse:
“If you see something that is wrong, you need to say something, you need to denounce it. Those who do not subscribe to the values of the United Nations need to be held to account. So yes, it's important that people that know something, they say something. If you don't, you're an accessory.”
5. Med shot, Christian Saunders and interviewer
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Saunders Special Coordinator on Improving the United Nations Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse:
“Whatever level you are in the organization, whether you're a staff member, a contractor working with the organization, an implementing partner, a manager or leader, you have a responsibility to prevent and to report SEA, when it happens.”
7. Med shot, interviewer
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Saunders Special Coordinator on Improving the United Nations Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse:
“I think we're committed to supporting the victims, whether that's through medical care, psychosocial care, legal assistance, or financial assistance through projects, income generating projects, and projects to help them live better lives and to support any children that they have. Do I think we're doing enough as of this point? No, but I think we're on the right track and we will keep working hard at this.”
9. Med shot, interviewer
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian Saunders Special Coordinator on Improving the United Nations Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse:
“We can see what happened. We can try and ascertain why it happened. What the environment was that allowed it to happen, what was in place to prevent it from happening, that didn't work. What we need to do now going forward in order to correct any deficiencies, to address any risks, and to use what we've learned to ensure it doesn't happen again.”
11. Med shot, Christian Saunders and interviewer

STORYLINE:

During his week-long visit to the Central African Republic (CAR), the Special Coordinator on Improving the UN’s Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Christian Saunders said, "there is no place for sexual exploitation and abuse in the United Nations, and if you commit sexual exploitation and abuse, you will be punished.”

Saunders said, “you will be held to account for your actions. And that may very well mean that you lose your job. It may also mean that there are criminal investigations against you, and you may go to jail.”

Talking to Guira FM - the radio station created by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), the Special Coordinator said, “if you see something that is wrong, you need to say something, you need to denounce it. Those who do not subscribe to the values of the United Nations need to be held to account.”

He said, “it's important that people that know something, they say something. If you don't, you're an accessory.”

“Whether you're a staff member, a contractor working with the organization, an implementing partner, a manager or leader,” Saunders said, “you have a responsibility to prevent and to report SEA, when it happens.”

With respect to victims, he said the organization offers support “through medical care, psychosocial care, legal assistance, or financial assistance through projects, income generating projects, and projects to help them live better lives and to support any children that they have.”

Saunders said, “do I think we're doing enough as of this point? No, but I think we're on the right track and we will keep working hard at this.”

Describing the methods used to assess the situation of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) in a given Mission, he said, “we can see what happened. We can try and ascertain why it happened. What the environment was that allowed it to happen, what was in place to prevent it from happening, that didn't work. What we need to do now going forward in order to correct any deficiencies, to address any risks, and to use what we've learned to ensure it doesn't happen again.”

This is Saunders first trip since he took his position on 1 September. While there, he met with senior peacekeeping, humanitarian and development officials present in the country and discussed how to strengthen the approach to combatting sexual exploitation and abuse. He also met with representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society.