Video of man having sex in UN official car surfaces; probe launched

United Nations, June 27

The UN said that it was "shocked and deeply disturbed" by footage of an alleged sex act in one of its official cars in Israel, the media reported on Saturday.

"We are shocked and deeply disturbed by what is seen on this video," Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told the BBC on Friday.

Describing the behaviour seen in the 18-second video as "abhorrent", he said an investigation led by the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services was "moving very quickly".

That kind of behaviour "goes against everything we stand for and having been working to achieve in terms of fighting misconduct by UN staff", Dujarric told the BBC.

The video, shared widely on social media, was allegedly filmed on the main street by Tel Aviv's seafront.

The UN has strict policies against sexual misconduct by its staff members.

Dujarric said the identification of the individuals seen in the video was "close to being completed".

"We expect the process to be concluded very quickly and intend to promptly take the appropriate action," he told the BBC.

In 2019, there were 175 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse against UN staff members, a report said.

Of those allegations, 16 were substantiated, 15 were unsubstantiated and all others were still being investigated. IANS