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A30 world news
Diasabra 15 Mei 2021

Diplomats, donors concerned about sex abuse reports at WHO

(AP) — British, European Foundation, the agency's fault if he wasn't aware of it."
and American diplomats third-largest funder, said it
and donors have voiced expects U.N. agencies to Balazs Ujvari, a spokesman
serious concerns about conduct thorough investi- for the European Commis-
how the World Health Or- gations into sexual abuse as sion, said it would "thor-
ganization handled sex quickly as possible. oughly monitor the investi-
abuse allegations involv- gations" by the AP. He said
ing its own staff during an "Our role as a funder is to the commission is ready to
outbreak of Ebola in Con- hold organizations that re- review or suspend funding
go, as reported this week ceive grants from the founda- "for any partner who is not
by The Associated Press. tion to the highest standards living up to the required high
of transparency and account- ethical and professional rules
On Tuesday, the AP pub- ability," the foundation said. and standards."
lished an investigation docu-
menting that senior WHO Lawrence Gostin, director The World Bank said it is
management was informed of the WHO Collaborating "deeply concerned" about the
of multiple sex abuse allega- Center on Global Health new sex abuse allegations at
tions involving at least two Law at Georgetown Univer- WHO. The bank paused its
of its doctors during the epi- sity, said the ultimate respon- negotiations with Congolese
demic in 2018. sibility for WHO's Ebola authorities for new financing
to establish the facts." Britain undermine the trust of the response lies with director- to agencies, including WHO,
A notarized contract ob- is WHO's second biggest do- people we serve." general Tedros Adhanom last year when reports of gen-
tained by the AP showed that nor, after the U.S. WHO has declined to com- Ghebreyesus. eral sex abuse during the Eb-
two WHO staffers signed ment on the specific alle- ola outbreak surfaced.
off on an agreement be- In a statement, the U.S. State gations reported by the AP The AP found that one of
tween WHO's Dr. Jean-Paul Department said more must and said it's waiting for the the doctors accused of sexual "We review our relationship
Ngandu and a young woman be done to address sex abuse results of a panel created last harassment, Boubacar Di- with any organization whose
he allegedly impregnated in issues at WHO. Asked about October to investigate sexual allo, bragged about his re- standards are in question,"
Congo. In it, Ngandu prom- the AP investigation, officials abuse during the Congo out- lationship to Tedros, who the World Bank said.
ised to pay the young woman said they were requesting break involving WHO staff- mentioned Diallo during a
money, cover her pregnancy more information about the ers. speech in January 2019. The Jiress Ngalya, a resident of
costs and buy her a plot of allegations. "Those respon- AP spoke with three women Beni, Congo, where some
land. The contract was made sible for any abuse must be "What's alarming is that who said Diallo offered them of the recently reported sex
"to protect the integrity and held accountable," it said. WHO seems to be keep- WHO jobs in exchange for abuse allegations involv-
reputation of the organiza- ing this abuse quiet and not sex; Diallo denied the claims. ing WHO occurred, said it
tion," Ngandu said. In Congo, the U.N.'s hu- publicly condemning these would be a welcome decision
manitarian coordinator Da- allegations," said Clare Wen- "I find it hard to believe if donors reduced their fund-
"The U.K. has a zero toler- vid McLachlan-Karr said he ham, an assistant professor Tedros would have known ing to WHO after seeing how
ance approach when it comes was determined to punish of global health policy at the about these allegations and the agency handled sex abuse
to sexual exploitation and ha- any humanitarian workers London School of Econom- done nothing," Gostin said. allegations in the country.
rassment — and that extends found guilty of sexual mis- ics. "There's a lot of talk about "(He) must meet the highest
to all international organi- conduct like that detailed in giving WHO more money ethical standards so we must "This should be a lesson to all
zations that we fund," said the AP report. but I don't think any govern- understand what he knew humanitarian organizations
Simon Manley, the U.K.'s ment should be committing and when he knew it. ... Dr. to not abuse innocent wom-
ambassador to the U.N. in "All these allegations must be to that until we know it's an Diallo may have used his re- en in our region," he said.
Geneva. "We are speaking investigated and the victims organization we can trust." lationship with Tedros as le- "This would show that they
with WHO and other major must be heard," he said in a verage in sexual exploitation, are not untouchable."
donors as a matter of urgency statement. "These allegations The Bill and Melinda Gates but it would not be Tedros'

Russian bailiffs show up at US broadcaster's office

(AP) — Russian court bai- RFE/RL President Jamie Fly by the Kremlin to censor un- reporting and dissent. The the European Court of Hu-
liffs showed up Friday at said the broadcaster's Mos- comfortable truths," Fly said term "foreign agent" carries man Rights to order Russia
Radio Free Europe/Ra- cow bank accounts were also in a statement. "We will not strong pejorative connota- to refrain from enforcing the
dio Liberty's Moscow bu- frozen Friday in what he de- be silenced by these heavy- tions in Russia. fines until the court can make
reau to notify it about the nounced as a serious escala- handed tactics and we will a full ruling on Roskomnad-
launch of enforcement tion in the Russian govern- not abandon our Russian au- Roskomnadzor has filed 520 zor's moves, which RFE/RL
proceedings over unpaid ment's campaign to drive it dience." violation cases against RFE/ contends violates the Euro-
fines as part of mounting out of the country. RL, which could entail fines pean Convention on Human
pressure on the U.S.-fund- Last year, Russia's media totaling $2.4 million. Rights.
ed broadcaster. "RFE/RL will continue to watchdog Roskomnadzor or-
fight these desperate attempts dered the media designated In a call with reporters, Fly RFE/RL isn't alone in fac-
as foreign agents, including said that the broadcaster has ing the "foreign agent" label-
RFE/RL, to add a lengthy refused to pay the fines be- ing, Over the past weeks, the
statement to news reports, cause it considers them un- Russian Justice Ministry has
social media posts and au- lawful. designated online media out-
diovisual materials specifying let Meduza, Moscow-based
that the content was created "We have been very clear First Anticorruption Media
by an outlet "performing the throughout this that we will (PASMI), and Netherlands-
functions of a foreign agent." not pay these fines," he said. based VTimes.io as "foreign
"We believe that the labeling agents."
The move, which applies is illegitimate, it violates Rus-
to nongovernmental politi- sia's own constitution. We U.S. Secretary of State Ant-
cal organizations and media aren't going to back down in ony Blinken has condemned
receiving foreign funding, the face of this pressure." Russia's mounting pressure
has been widely criticized as on the media as a sign of the
aiming to discredit critical The broadcaster has asked Kremlin's weakness.