UN WELCOMES NEWSPAPER APOLOGY FOR ACCUSATIONS OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AGAINST STAFFER
New York, Apr 28 2005 4:00PM
The United Nations today welcomed an apology issued by a British newspaper which had made unsubstantiated accusations of
sexual exploitation against a senior UN staff member serving in the peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC).
“We’re pleased to see that the UK daily, the Independent, today issued an apology for misrepresenting” the conduct of
former Chief of Staff Jaque Grinberg, who had been based in the DRC with the UN Organization Mission (MONUC), spokesman
Stephane Dujarric said at the daily briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.
“The newspaper had implied that he’d been involved in sexual exploitation of Congolese women,” Mr. Dujarric said. “In
its apology, it acknowledged that Grinberg has been at the forefront of efforts to combat sexual abuse by peacekeepers
in the DRC and is a highly respected and experienced UN staff member.”
In its apology to the Australian for the 11 January story, the Independent said, “We apologize for any distress caused
to him or his family by the article.”
2005-04-28 00:00:00.000