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UN refugee chief denies sexual harassment allegation

UN refugee chief denies sexual harassment allegation

High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Ruud Lubbers today denied allegations of sexual harassment filed by an agency staff member.

“It has been brought to my attention by Dileep Nair, Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight, Office of Internal Oversight Services, that a complaint about sexual harassment has been filed against me by a UNHCR staff member,” Mr. Lubbers said in a statement issued in Geneva by his spokesman.

“The complaint refers to a formal meeting in my office on December 18, 2003. The meeting was attended by five other staff members. The complaint was filed on April 27 of this year, more than four months after the alleged harassment. In that meeting of last December 18, there was no improper behaviour on my part."