UN suspends 2 officials over sexual misconduct

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric

Stephane Dujarric

UN Spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric

The United Nations has suspended two employees of the UN mission in Israel without pay after a viral video showed them in a sex act inside their official vehicle.

In the 18-second video, a woman in a red dress was seen straddling a man in the back seat of a marked white UN vehicle. Another man appears to be asleep in the passenger seat as it drove down a major street in Tel Aviv, Israel.

A screenshot from the viral video showing the UN officials engaging in sexual misconduct

According to the statement released by the agency, the men in the video have been identified as staff members of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), UN military observers based in Israel.

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN’s secretary-general said the two staff members have been suspended without pay until the investigation into the incident has concluded.

He told BBC; “Their suspension was appropriate given the seriousness of the allegations of failing to observe the standards of conduct expected of international civil servants.

“UNTSO has re-engaged in a robust awareness-raising campaign to remind its personnel of their obligations to the UN Code of Conduct.”

The UN maintains strict regulations barring sexual misconduct by staffers and has come under fire for violations in recent years.

Load more