British MPs Say Aid Organizations Need Ombuds to Respond to Sexual Misconduct Issues

The British House of Commons International Development Committee says that international aid agencies have utterly failed to respond to sex offenses by charity workers and peacekeepers. In a report published July 31, the select committee called on aid agencies to appoint independent Ombudsmen, “to provide an avenue through which victims and survivors can appeal for justice and recompense, if they are unable to find this through the established channels.” 

The standards and characteristics of the proposed Ombuds were not defined, nor were any incentives proposed. United Nations and its affiliated organizations generally practice to IOA standards, while in the UK Ombuds are more classical in nature. It is not clear which model the MPs are endorsing. (Intl Devt Cmte Rpt; Financial Times.)

Related posts: Overview of Internal Dispute Programs at Intergovernmental Organizations; Senior British MP Calls for Sports Ombuds; British Ombudsman Association Annual Conference Marks 25 Years; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Endorses Ombuds for Higher Ed's Sexual Harassment Problem.