UN welcomes newspaper apology for accusations of sexual exploitation against staffer

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.”