III 
107TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 349
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
OCTOBER 17, 2002
Received 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Calling for effective measures to end the sexual exploitation 
of refugees.
Whereas the United Nations and organizations engaged in 
international humanitarian relief periodically receive re-
ports of sexual exploitation of refugees, particularly 
women and children; 
Whereas last year a report commissioned by the United Na-
tions High Commissioner of Refugees and the British or-
ganization Save the Children accuses aid workers in
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Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea of refusing to give 
food and medicine to young girls unless they perform sex-
ual favors; 
Whereas in response to this report the Secretary General of 
the United Nations denounced sexual exploitation of refu-
gees and called for a full investigation of the humani-
tarian staff from the agencies involved; 
Whereas the charges against aid workers in West Africa are 
still being investigated and in recent years there have 
been reports implicating employees of international non-
governmental organizations, government agencies respon-
sible for humanitarian response, and peacekeeping forces 
in sexual exploitation of refugees; 
Whereas many of these reports have involved children, some 
as young as 10 to 12 years of age; 
Whereas the insufficiency of food rations in refugee camps 
has been cited as a primary factor contributing to sexual 
exploitation; 
Whereas refugees are often extremely poor and cut off from 
employment and other ordinary means of income, so that 
they can be highly susceptible to demands that they ex-
change sex for food to help their families survive: and 
Whereas the relationship between refugee workers and refu-
gees is a custodial or caregiving relationship in which the 
custodian or caregiver can exercise substantial power over 
the life of the other party, and which carries a cor-
responding risk of abuse: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That the Congress—
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(1) supports the Secretary General of the 
United Nations in condemning the sexual exploi-
tation of children by humanitarian aid workers; 
(2) urges the United Nations to conduct a com-
prehensive worldwide investigation into the extent, if 
any, of sexual exploitation of refugees by agents or 
employees of United Nations agencies, of other 
international nongovernmental organizations, and of 
governments; 
(3) urges the President to—
(A) affirm the commitment of the United 
States to protecting the well-being and human 
rights of women and children, particularly those 
in refugee situations; and 
(B) instruct the Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Devel-
opment and the Secretary of Agriculture to re-
view the distribution of food assistance to ref-
ugee communities throughout the world to en-
sure that humanitarian assistance to refugees 
provided by the United States is respectful of 
the human rights of women and children and is 
distributed in such a way as to minimize the 
risk of sexual exploitation; and
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(4) urges the Secretary General, the President, 
and the executive authorities of all governmental and 
nongovernmental entities engaged in refugee work to 
adopt codes of conduct for employees, contractors, 
and other agents of the United Nations, of the 
United States Government, and of such govern-
mental and nongovernmental entities, respectively, 
who are engaged in refugee work that strictly pro-
hibit sexual relationships between international ref-
ugee workers and those entrusted to their care, and 
to enforce these prohibitions vigorously.
Passed the House of Representatives October 16, 
2002. 
Attest: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk.