Topic: 2025 – Criminal Accountability of UN Officials
Country: Peru
Delegate Name: Luis Avila
Legal Committee
Criminal Accountability of UN officials
The Republic of Peru
Luis Avila, Forest Hills Northern High School
Diplomatic immunity was created to protect officials from harassment or arrest while carrying out their duties, but in some cases, it has been misused to avoid accountability. The United Nations has recognized this problem and has taken steps to hold its officials responsible for wrongdoing. In December 2007, the UN General Assembly passed resolution A/RES/62/63, which encouraged member states to prosecute crimes committed by UN personnel, even when those crimes happened outside their home countries. Since then, the UN has set up procedures to refer credible allegations to the home countries of accused staff and asks member states to report whether their national laws allow prosecution of crimes committed abroad by UN personnel. The UN has also called for better reporting and pre-deployment training to prevent misconduct. While these measures were put into place, the lack of criminal accountability of UN officials is still a problem.
Peru believes that UN personnel should be held accountable for serious crimes, and that immunity should protect officials only while they are doing their jobs, and not to let them get away with corruption, abuse, or sexual exploitation. Peru’s laws on extradition and extraterritorial jurisdiction let the country work with host nations and the UN to prosecute its citizens who commit crimes abroad. For example, Article 2 of the Peruvian Penal Code (Legislative Decree No. 635) applies Peru’s criminal law to crimes committed outside the country, and Ley Nº 24710 (Extradition Law) sets the rules for extradition with other states. These laws show that Peru can make sure its citizens are held responsible for their actions, even while serving in UN missions. Peru contributes personnel to UN peacekeeping missions and is committed to making sure its nationals act responsibly. It also collaborates with other countries, like Brazil, Colombia, and Chile, as well as the wider international community, to share best practices and provide training for UN personnel before deployment. Showing Peru’s dedication to maintaining the credibility of UN missions.
While the UN has taken steps to refer allegations of misconduct and encourage member states to prosecute their personnel, there are still gaps in enforcement and transparency. The Republic of Peru recommends that the United Nations set up a UN-wide monitoring system to track investigations and prosecutions of officials accused of serious crimes. The UN could take measures such as deadlines for when member states must report their cases, centralized databases for access and accountability on each case, and public updates ensuring transparency within the UN. Along with this, a small UN team could be put in place to aid countries in investigating and fixing problems if cases were to stall. If these measures are put in place, Peru believes that UN officials on missions can continue to be safe, while still being held accountable if there is illegal activity. Peru is committed to working with the international community to make sure UN personnel are held accountable for their actions, no matter where they serve.
