VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0026 0111132
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 111132Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7214
INFO RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 2484
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 1763
RUEHGVA/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0747
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0099
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0795

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000026 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/PSC, NEA/ELA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPKO KTIP SY IS
SUBJECT: REPORT ON UNDOF EFFORTS TO COMBAT SEXUAL 
EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE IN GOLAN PEACEKEEPING MISSION 
 
REF: STATE 130760 
 
¶1. In response to reftel, this report addresses the United 
Nations' Disengagement and Observer Force's effort to combat 
sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and 
trafficking-in-persons (TIP) in its Golan peacekeeping 
mission. 
 
------------------- 
Preventive Measures 
------------------- 
 
¶2. According to UN publications, the UN provides 
pre-deployment training on SEA to all international civilian 
personnel.  Pre-deployment SEA training is also mandatory for 
military personnel, but troop contributing countries are 
responsible for providing it.  The UN's Conduct and 
Discipline Units (CDU) provide support to the UN and troop 
contributing countries on training.  The CDU's Conduct and 
Discipline Team responsible for covering UNDOF is located in 
Lebanon. 
 
¶3. UNDOF Commander Major General Wolfgang Jilke reported he 
makes supervisors in each of the battalions take direct 
responsibility for getting the message out that sexual 
harassment and abuse will not be tolerated.   The general 
stated he preferred this approach to simply posting notices 
referring victims to hotlines at UN headquarters in New York. 
 
--------------------------- 
Assessment of Effectiveness 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4. General Jilke credited this approach with preventing 
instances of sexual harassment and abuse.  He reported that 
during his tenure "not a single case of sexual harassment or 
abuse has taken place."  As a result, Camp Fouar, where UNDOF 
is headquartered in the Golan, has been commended by the 
United Nations for its efforts to combat sexual abuse and 
exploitation.  While the number of women serving in UNDOF at 
any given time is only about 20, he said the force is proud 
women feel safe and secure in their working environment. 
 
¶5. Post's NGO and women's advocacy contacts on TIP issues 
have never reported even a suspicion of TIP-related crimes 
associated with UNDOF.  There are no known media reports on 
SEA or TIP crimes associated with UNDOF during the reporting 
period. 
 
¶6. UNDOF's troop level is a little over 1,000 and Camp Fouar 
is in a sparsely populated area.  Officers and troops live 
either in the camp or on small observation posts around the 
Golan.  We assess that the relative isolation of the camp and 
these posts explained General Jilke's special emphasis on 
holding battalion supervisors accountable for their troops' 
and attached civilian personnel's behavior.  The lack of any 
reports of SEA- or TIP-related activities during the 
reporting period attested to the relative success of General 
Jilke's measures. 
HUNTER