The United Nations will begin providing peacekeeping troops with "no excuses" cards as part of a wider effort to combat sexual abuse in the organization's international stabilization operations, an official said Thursday. Other measures being introduced include mandatory training for troops and commanders before they deploy and increased vetting to keep individuals with prior histories of sexual abuse from partaking in peacekeeping operations. To improve accountability, the UN is also working to standardize norms for reporting and dealing with cases where peacekeepers are implicated in sexual abuse, according to report on the UN's efforts combat sexual abuse. The UN has long faced allegations of sexual abuses by its peacekeepers, especially those based in Central African Republic and Congo. The UN says there were 69 allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers in 2015.

Source: CBC News September 02, 2016 01:07 UTC