Action Urged on Ending Abuse by Peacekeepers

The United States circulated a draft Security Council statement that would urge member nations to adopt a recent inquiry's recommendations on ending sexual abuse by U.N. peacekeepers.

The statement would confirm that combating sexual abuse is the responsibility of troop-contributing nations, but that Secretary-General Kofi Annan and all member states must also take efforts to prevent such misconduct.

In late March, a statement described the U.N. military arm as deeply flawed and said abuses had been reported in missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Cambodia, East Timor, West Africa and Congo.