Ramita Navai’s documentary “The UN Sex Abuse Scandal” traces specific allegations of predatory behaviors of some UN peacekeepers in conflict countries worldwide, with detailed interviews from survivors of sex abuse. More than 2000 allegations of UN sexual abuse have been reported and recorded in Congo, Cambodia, Bosnia, and Haiti in the past two decades. The film lays out the protocols and procedures that report and prosecute crimes and support victims of sexual violence. It depicts the historical and continuous impunity under which the perpetrators act as the UN advocates for zero tolerance, ignoring their mission while operating. Inherently, this essay discusses the film above that opens up many people’s minds to the UN sexual violence perpetrated by the UN peacekeepers in war-torn countries.
The international nation-state actor involved in this film is United Nations. The UN is involved by mentioning the UN Secretary-General, Advisor to Secretary-General, UN for Management and Reform, Head of UN Mission, UN Force Commander, and UN MILITARY POLICE. The NGOs involved in this documentary are Code Blue, Innocence in Danger, and Foundation Femme Plus. Paula Donovan set up code Blue to fight against UN sex abuse (Ramita and Collyns 9: 22-10:37). Innocence in Danger was formed to protect children from violence and abuse. Foundation Femme Plus is an NGO that offers psychological and social support for sexual violence victims. Some of the individuals featured in this film are Kofi Annan (UN Secretary-General), Zeid Ra-Ad Al Hussein (Advisor to Secretary-General), Anthony Banbury (UN Assistant Secretary-General), and Paula Donovan (Code Blue), and Antonio Guterres (UN Secretary-General). Global citizens in outside regions engage by providing psychological and social support to sexual abuse victims, counseling victims of sexual violence, educating communities, supporting victims with what they need, and encouraging reporting on sexual abuse.
The main theme of this film is sexual violence and abuse by purported peacekeepers. The documentary traces numerous allegations of sexual exploitation, abuse, and misconduct by the UN peacemakers in war-torn zones across the globe (Ramita and Collyns 14: 22-17:37). These accusations are obtained from firsthand interviews with survivors and witnesses. It was necessary to produce this documentary through social media platforms such as Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook to be shared with as many people as possible. In essence, social media platforms would allow this film to be shared easily with the outside world. Additionally, I would like to see a more significant connection among characters from a follow-up documentary to recreate a perfect story.
The United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur and United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti are the current events related to the “The UN Sex Abuse Scandal” film. Things have changed due to the involvement of women in the peacekeeping mission to build peace and protect women’s rights (Westendorf 141). The Action for Peacekeeping is one of the entities involved in changing things regarding peacekeeping missions. It advocates for the involvement of more women in peacekeeping initiatives and programs. Intrinsically, this documentary shows the need for women to be involved in peacekeeping to reduce sexual violence and abuse among women and children. As a result, the number of women should be increased in the UN Military and Police Unit to protect women’s rights. Women should be nominated for a leadership positions to encourage more women to join UN Military. All peacekeepers should avoid sexual violence and abuse among women and children to restore to prevent conflicts and confrontations.
Works Cited
Ramita Navai, and Sam Collyns. “UN Abuse Scandal.” Season 2018: Episode 11. Frontline, (2018). Web.
Westendorf, Jasmine-Kim. “Conclusion: One Problem among Many? An Integrated Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.” Violating Peace. Cornell University Press, 2020. 134-166.