Cablegate: Report On Undof Efforts to Combat Sexual

VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0026 0111132
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 111132Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7214
INFO RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 2484
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 1763
RUEHGVA/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0747
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0099
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0795

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000026

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR IO/PSC, NEA/ELA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPKO KTIP SY IS
SUBJECT: REPORT ON UNDOF EFFORTS TO COMBAT SEXUAL
EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE IN GOLAN PEACEKEEPING MISSION

REF: STATE 130760

1. In response to reftel, this report addresses the United
Nations' Disengagement and Observer Force's effort to combat
sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and
trafficking-in-persons (TIP) in its Golan peacekeeping
mission.

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Preventive Measures
-------------------

2. According to UN publications, the UN provides
pre-deployment training on SEA to all international civilian
personnel. Pre-deployment SEA training is also mandatory for
military personnel, but troop contributing countries are
responsible for providing it. The UN's Conduct and
Discipline Units (CDU) provide support to the UN and troop
contributing countries on training. The CDU's Conduct and
Discipline Team responsible for covering UNDOF is located in
Lebanon.

3. UNDOF Commander Major General Wolfgang Jilke reported he
makes supervisors in each of the battalions take direct
responsibility for getting the message out that sexual
harassment and abuse will not be tolerated. The general
stated he preferred this approach to simply posting notices
referring victims to hotlines at UN headquarters in New York.

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Assessment of Effectiveness
---------------------------

4. General Jilke credited this approach with preventing
instances of sexual harassment and abuse. He reported that
during his tenure "not a single case of sexual harassment or
abuse has taken place." As a result, Camp Fouar, where UNDOF
is headquartered in the Golan, has been commended by the
United Nations for its efforts to combat sexual abuse and
exploitation. While the number of women serving in UNDOF at
any given time is only about 20, he said the force is proud
women feel safe and secure in their working environment.

5. Post's NGO and women's advocacy contacts on TIP issues
have never reported even a suspicion of TIP-related crimes
associated with UNDOF. There are no known media reports on
SEA or TIP crimes associated with UNDOF during the reporting
period.

6. UNDOF's troop level is a little over 1,000 and Camp Fouar
is in a sparsely populated area. Officers and troops live
either in the camp or on small observation posts around the
Golan. We assess that the relative isolation of the camp and
these posts explained General Jilke's special emphasis on
holding battalion supervisors accountable for their troops'
and attached civilian personnel's behavior. The lack of any
reports of SEA- or TIP-related activities during the
reporting period attested to the relative success of General
Jilke's measures.
HUNTER

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