South Africa is currently at the top of a United Nations (UN) list regarding sexual exploitation and abuse during peacekeeping missions, according to a new UN dashboard launched yesterday. The initiative aims to address unresolved paternity and child support claims linked to peace operations.
Since 2006, the UN has received over 700 paternity claims related to its peacekeeping missions, with 85% of these concerning military peacekeepers. Many of the cases remain unresolved. The dashboard reveals that 80 claims are still pending, while 31 cases resulted in either unestablished paternity or claims withdrawn by the child's mother or guardian.
The UN requires that member states contributing personnel to its peacekeeping operations facilitate the resolution of paternity and child support claims involving their military or police personnel who may have fathered children during deployments.
In response, the South African Mission to the UN issued a brief statement reaffirming the country’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse. The mission emphasized that the government is working closely with the UN to address the behavior of its peacekeepers and to resolve paternity and maintenance claims.