France urges WHO chief to keep pledge on fighting sex abuse
ABC News
The French government has called on the head of the World Health Organization to uphold his pledge for an “action plan” to combat sexual abuse and exploitation by WHO employees
GENEVA -- The French government called Wednesday on the head of the World Health Organization to uphold his pledge for an "action plan” to combat sexual abuse and exploitation by WHO employees after independent investigators found scores of accusations stemming from the agency's response to an Ebola outbreak in Congo.
A WHO-commissioned panel reported Tuesday that it had identified more than 80 people accused of sexual misconduct and confirmed that 21 of them worked for the U.N. health agency during the outbreak. Some observers said the findings made Congo the scene of the biggest scandal of its kind in the history of U.N.-related field missions.
The French Foreign Ministry's call for WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to take action within 10 days comes less than a week after France, Germany and other EU announced that they had nominated him for a second five-year term.
Word of the nomination came shortly after the candidacy deadline for the post expired on Sept. 23.
