Whistleblower protections and issues at the United Nations don’t get nearly the amount of media attention they should. Whistleblower disclosures involving UN peacekeeping missions get even less. So, when a new report is to be published that looks into these important topics, GAP takes notice. Transparency International UK is distributing a report on this very topic next week.
The report, Corruption & Peacekeeping: Strengthening Peacekeeping and the United Nations, is due out next Wednesday. GAP’s International program has long advocated on behalf of UN whistleblowers and supported strengthening the internal justice system. Since late 2012, we’ve made strides in advocating for better peacekeeper/whistleblower treatment. We represented UN peacekeeping operations whistleblower James Wasserstrom on advocacy issues (who’s also been consulted on for the upcoming report), brought film protagonist Kathryn Bolkovac to speak to University of Houston-Clear Lake students on our American Whistleblower Tour, and released our own report detailing how the UN Justice System allows serious wrongdoing in the peacekeeping missions to continue.
GAP International program staff looks forward to reviewing the report and commenting on it next week.
Dylan Blaylock is Communications Director for the Government Accountability Project, the nation’s leading whistleblower protection and advocacy organization.