On January 18, 2018, the United Nations Department of Public Information Non-Governmental Organizations (UNDPI NGO) held a briefing to introduce the Assistant Secretary-General, Victims’ Rights Advocate on sexual exploitation and abuse. Jane Connors holds a law degree from Australia. In her previous career, she was the Director of Amnesty International, Director of the Research and Right to Development Division at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). She also worked in OHCHR’s Human Rights Treaties Division and as Chief of the Special Procedures Branch and was the Chief of the Women’s Rights Section in the Division for the Advancement of Women in the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in New York. In every professional position she had, she advocated for those who did not have a voice. On 23 August 2017, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, appointed Connors as the first UN advocate for the rights of victims of sexual exploitation and abuse.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recognized the need to have an advocate for victims’ rights after reviewing the 2014 instances of the exploitation by the UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic. According to the UN Secretary-General, “sexual exploitation and abuse have no place in our world, it is a global menace, and it must end.” Preventing sexual exploitation and abuse, preventing and addressing sexual harassment are some of the top priorities for Antonio Guterres. His approach is to bring a special responsibility to appall UN standards, to end impunity for those guilty of sexual exploitation and abuse, to build a multi-stakeholder network to support the UN efforts, to reorient the UN approach to strategic communication, and to raise awareness of sexual exploitation and abuse worldwide.
Photo: Jane Connors, the Assistant Secretary-General, Victims’ Rights Advocate on sexual exploitation and abuse.
The role of the Assistant Secretary-General, Victims’ Rights Advocate on sexual exploitation and abuse is an extremely difficult one. The Office of the Assistant Secretary-General, Victims’ Rights Advocate on sexual exploitation and abuse is going to work in the following directions: (1) to map and identify the victims’ rights approaches across the UN, (2) to collect best practices from member states, (3) to convene a consultation of external experts and (4) to craft communications products such as Facebook and Twitter to help raise awareness within social networks. Connors aims to put the rights and dignity of victims at the forefront of the UN’s efforts against sexual exploitation and abuse. She wants to ensure visibility of the issues of sexual exploitation and abuse, address the stigmatization and discrimination, and act as a voice for the victims. In addition, Connors works to create safe ways to allow victims to report cases of sexual exploitation and abuse and not feel stigmatized while doing so. She wants to ensure the victims get all the support and assistance they need. Last year, Connors visited the Central African Republic and South Sudan. Trips like that give her the opportunity to talk to the victims and the professionals working in the field, as well as allow her to get first-hand information of the situation.
In her response to the sexual abuse allegations against the UN peacekeepers, Connors remarked that such actions undermine the UN work and compromise the UN credibility. She underlined that the common reasons for any cases of sexual exploitation and abuse are gender inequality, abuse of power, vulnerability of populations, stigma, stereotyping, lack of training, ignorance, lack of acceptance of UN rules and values, and inadequate screening and vetting. Connors stressed that one allegation against the UN is too many and promised to work hard to ensure a positive change.
Photo: (left to right) SHU graduate student Ruthly Cadestin, Jane Connors, the Assistant Secretary-General, Victims’ Rights Advocate on sexual exploitation and abuse, and graduate student Patricia Zanini Graca.