The main donor countries of the WHO, including the United States and the EU, demanded on Friday “l’engagement totalOrganization to prevent a recurrence of sexual violence by some of its employees, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “We will ensure that the commitments made by WHO leadership will lead to greater accountability, more capacity for action and rapid change.», Underlines a joint declaration, also signed by Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom.
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The statement follows the release on Wednesday of a devastating report for the World Health Organization (WHO), which finds that 21 of its employees committed sexual violence against dozens of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak. The report of the independent commission of inquiry, set up by the head of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus after revelations from the press, denounces “structural failures“And”individual negligence».
Dozens of cases of sexual exploitation in exchange for promises
Doctor Tedros, who is running for a second term in 2022 and who has notably had the public support of a majority of European countries, said to himself “sorry“To the victims and promised”severe consequencesTo officials immediately after the publication of the report. This was not enough to reassure donor countries, who believe that the main officials of the organization have reacted too little and too slowly. The signatory countries of the press release said to themselves “horrifiedBy the conclusions of the report, which revealed dozens of cases of sexual exploitation in exchange for the promise of work, but also 9 rapes.
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The statement requires a detailed and in-depth investigation to determine how it is possible that these acts were not reported “neither to WHO management nor to member countries». «We will work directly with the WHO on specific steps the WHO must take to ensure zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse and to put victims at the heart of its concerns when responding to such accusations.», Underlines the joint declaration. This is the second time that the main donor countries of WHO have intervened in such a spectacular and firm manner in this dossier. At the end of May, some fifty member countries of WHO had publicly expressed their frustration at the slowness of investigations and the lack of transparency.
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