“The behaviour seen in [the video] is abhorrent and goes against everything that we stand for,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.
By World Israel News Staff
“We are deeply disturbed by content of [a] video apparently involving personnel from [United Nations Truce Supervision Organization]. An investigation was swiftly launched and is moving very quickly,” the UN spokesperson’s office tweeted Friday, responding to a viral video that appeared to show a sex act in an official UN vehicle.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric also issued a statement to reporters on Friday afternoon, “confirming that the short video clip which runs less than half a minute, featured a 4×4 vehicle, containing personnel ‘likely assigned to the UN Truce Supervision Organization,’ or UNTSO,” UN News reported.
The video shows a woman in a red dress gyrating on top of a passenger in the back seat of a vehicle driving up HaYarkon Street, one of Tel Aviv’s major thoroughfares.
The UN claims to enforce regulations prohibiting sexual misconduct by staff, but a 2019 report documented 175 allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation involving UN staff members.
The Tel Aviv video’s “provenance and authenticity has not been confirmed,” according the the UN News report.
“We are shocked and deeply disturbed by what is seen on the video”, continued Dujarric’s statement. “The behavior seen in it is abhorrent and goes against everything that we stand for and having been working to achieve in terms of fighting misconduct by UN staff.”
Dujarric continues, “We became aware of the video a little bit more than two days ago and our colleagues in the Office of Internal Oversight Services, OIOS, were immediately activated. Their investigation I know is moving very quickly. We know the location of the incident with the identification of individuals in the video, who are likely assigned to the UNTSO, is close to being completed.”
“As part of the UN’s commitment to transparency, the UN will provide updates on the conclusion of the investigation, and any further action”, said Mr. Dujarric.