U.N. Peacekeeping: United Nations Faces Challenges in Responding to the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Peacekeeping Operations
Released: 2001-12-12T00:00:00

Letter

Background

The U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) serves as the operational arm of the U.N. Secretary General for all U.N. peacekeeping operations and is responsible for conducting, managing, directing, planning, and preparing those operations. DPKO is currently operating 15 peacekeeping missions, as shown in figure 1, at a budgeted cost of approximately $2.7 billion for 2001. As of September 2001, 88 countries were contributing 46,957 military and civilian police personnel, and countries are reimbursed about $1,000 per peacekeeper per month for contributing to these missions. (See app. II for a list of the countries contributing U.N. peacekeepers as of September 2001.) The United States currently contributes 732 peacekeepers and pays for 25 percent of the total cost of peacekeeping operations. Three U.N. peacekeeping missions are in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 25.3 million people have HIV/AIDS.

We recently reported that several challenges hinder the ability of the international community to address the growing HIV/AIDS pandemic, including limited funding for programs, cultural impediments to program effectiveness, and weak national health care systems. Conflicts exacerbate these challenges because the organizations that deliver HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness programs are unable to function normally. In these situations, vulnerable populations–including refugees, internally displaced persons, orphans, ex-combatants, commercial sex workers, and war-affected local civilians–face increased risk of exposure to HIV. Refugees, internally displaced persons, and orphans are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection because they are at high risk of sexual violence and exploitation and because they may use sex as a commodity to survive. Peacekeeping missions bring peacekeepers in close proximity to these populations.

In resolution 1308, passed in July 2000, the U.N. Security Council recognized that in conditions of conflict, violence, and instability there is increased risk of exposure to HIV. Resolution 1308 encouraged U.N. agencies to take action with member states to develop strategies to mitigate the spread of HIV/AIDS in peacekeeping missions. In addition, the resolution directed the Secretary General to take additional steps to develop and provide training to peacekeepers on HIV/AIDS awareness.

Department of Peacekeeping’s Policy Discourages but Does Not Preclude Deployment of HIV- Positive Peacekeepers

DPKO recommends that countries contributing to U.N. peacekeeping operations should not send HIV-positive individuals on peacekeeping missions for three reasons. First, medical treatment available during the peacekeeping mission may not be adequate to meet the special requirements of peacekeepers with HIV. Second, peacekeepers may have to undergo predeployment vaccinations and may be exposed to diseases during deployment, both of which pose additional risks to their health. Third, the presence of HIV-positive peacekeepers poses the risk of transmission to medical personnel, fellow peacekeepers, and the civilian population.

DPKO officials point to the third factor as weighing heavily in their recommendation not to deploy HIV-positive individuals. The U.N. Code of Conduct for Peacekeepers, although it does not address specific sexual conduct, states that peacekeepers should do no physical, sexual, or psychological harm. To minimize the risk of spreading HIV to the local population in the peacekeeping zone, DPKO officials recommend that individuals with HIV not be sent on peacekeeping missions.

While DPKO policy recommends against deploying individuals with HIV, its policy also states that those who do not show clinical manifestations of AIDS are not precluded from peacekeeping service. Therefore, DPKO policy is consistent with the overall policy of the United Nations, which has gone on record in several documents expressing its concern for the human rights of individuals with HIV/AIDS and taking a stand against discrimination against such individuals. Specifically, the General Assembly in a December 1991 resolution (Res. A/RES/46/203) urged U.N. member states to avoid taking discriminatory action against individuals with HIV in employment. In addition, the United Nations has stated that, in general, a public health exception to the principle of nondiscrimination, even in the case of HIV/AIDS, is seldom a legitimate basis for restrictions on human rights. U.N. guidelines state that mandatory testing or registration for HIV status is not justified on public health grounds. Finally, the U.N.’s personnel policy states that (1) the only medical criterion for recruitment is fitness to work; (2) HIV infection does not, in itself, constitute a lack of fitness to work; (3) there will be no HIV screening of candidates for recruitment; and (4) there should be no obligation on the part of the employee to inform the employer about his or her HIV/AIDS status.

The United Nations Does Not Know How Many Peacekeepers Have HIV

The United Nations does not know how many peacekeepers have HIV/AIDS because it opposes mandatory HIV testing before, during, or after deployment to a peacekeeping mission and because contributing countries either do not test or do not share test results with the United Nations. Officials remain concerned that peacekeepers with the infection may be deployed on peacekeeping operations, especially the approximately 14 percent of peacekeepers that come from countries with high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates, such as Nigeria and Kenya. Even if they are not infected before deployment, peacekeepers—like other military personnel—are likely to engage in behaviors such as unsafe sexual practices that increase the risk of contracting and spreading HIV.

The United Nations Does Not Collect Data on the HIV Status of Peacekeepers

The United Nations opposes mandatory testing of peacekeepers for HIV before, during, or after deployment to a peacekeeping operation. It therefore does not know whether countries are sending HIV-positive individuals to peacekeeping operations or how many individuals with HIV or AIDS make up its peacekeeping forces. As a result, while the media have reported a handful of cases of peacekeepers spreading or contracting HIV, there is little direct information on the extent of HIV transmission in peacekeeping operations. (See app. III for a description of the information available.) Furthermore, because the United Nations opposes mandatory testing and because contributing countries retain control over their own forces, DPKO cannot direct countries to test or keep data on HIV prevalence among their peacekeeping forces.

HIV testing policies vary widely among contributing countries. Some contributing countries do not test their personnel for HIV and have no data to share with the United Nations. For example, according to DPKO and the Department of Defense (DOD), the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Nigeria, among other countries, do not screen military personnel for HIV. Also, Zambia’s military, which at one time conducted testing and screening for HIV, is no longer financially able to do so. Together, these four countries account for about 11 percent of current peacekeeping forces.

Some militaries test their troops intermittently and may test peacekeepers before, during, or after a peacekeeping operation. However, data from these tests are not always shared with the United Nations. For example, according to DOD, South Africa has conducted HIV testing of its rapid deployment force used for peacekeeping operations, although it is unknown if any of these individuals were precluded from peacekeeping service. According to a member of the UNAIDS Steering Committee on HIV/AIDS and Security, countries may consider this information vital to national security because it could be considered a strategic weakness. In addition, countries might not release this information because doing so may jeopardize both their standing as peacekeeping contributors and the revenue they receive in return for their participation. On the other hand, an HIV/AIDS expert at DOD, who works closely with militaries, stated that even those countries that test may not know the HIV/AIDS prevalence rates of their militaries because they do not capture, store, or analyze the data that result from the tests.

Some Peacekeepers Come From Countries With High HIV Prevalence Rates

Although the United Nations does not know how many peacekeepers have HIV, many come from countries with relatively high HIV prevalence among the general population, leading to expectations of high prevalence among the military, including peacekeepers. UNAIDS estimates that military personnel are two to five times more likely than civilians to contract a sexually transmitted infection, including HIV. In addition, according to the National Intelligence Council, HIV prevalence in African militaries is considerably higher than that of the general population. For example, the Council estimates that between 10 and 20 percent of Nigeria’s military is HIV-positive, compared to a 5-percent prevalence rate for the general population. Nigeria is the largest African contributor to U.N. peacekeeping operations.

More than 14 percent of peacekeepers come from countries where the adult HIV prevalence rate is greater than 5 percent (see table 1). According to public health experts, prevalence levels this high make it significantly more likely that uninfected persons in the population will be exposed to the infection. The higher the prevalence rate in a population, the more rapidly the infection will spread. The situation is most pronounced in Sierra Leone, where 32 percent of peacekeepers originate from countries with HIV prevalence rates greater than 5 percent.

Conditions Are Conducive to the Spread of HIV/AIDS in Peacekeeping Operations

Peacekeepers operate in an environment where exposure to HIV is more likely. Because peacekeepers often have money to spend, commercial sex workers, known to have high rates of HIV infection, migrate to areas where peacekeepers are deployed. For example, in Ethiopia, where a U.N. peacekeeping operation is ongoing, sex workers were found to have HIV prevalence rates exceeding 70 percent. In addition to the presence of commercial sex workers, peacekeeping operations are surrounded by populations of orphans, internally displaced persons, and refugees. According to UNAIDS, these populations may have sold sex to survive and may have been the victims of rape or sexual violence during the conflict preceding the peacekeeping operation.

According to DPKO, there has been only one confirmed case of a member of a peacekeeping mission transmitting the HIV infection. At the same time, there have been a number of media reports of peacekeepers contracting HIV while on a peacekeeping mission. However, very few have been confirmed. According to DPKO, two Bangladeshi peacekeepers contracted the infection in Cambodia in 1993 and one in Mozambique in 1994. In addition, a medical study in 1995 found that 10 Uruguayan peacekeepers had contracted HIV while on a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Cambodia.

Despite the absence of data, U.N. and U.S. government officials have expressed concern that peacekeepers may be transmitting or contracting the virus during peacekeeping operations. Surveys of military personnel indicate that many do not practice safe sex. For example, according to the U.N. Population Fund, a study of the Ukrainian military showed that only 10 percent of the officers surveyed practiced safe sexual behavior—that is, consistent condom use and one faithful partner—while 28 percent of the officers surveyed reported having multiple sexual partners. In addition, according to DOD, on a 2000 training operation in South America, about 30 percent of U.S. sailors reported having sexual contact while in ports of call, with about 15 percent of this group saying they did not always use a condom. In addition, according to UNAIDS, 45 percent of Dutch peacekeepers in Cambodia had sexual relations with commercial sex workers or members of the local population over a 5-month period in 1993, with approximately 11 percent of that group saying they did not always use condoms.

U.N. Efforts to Address the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Peacekeepers Face Challenges

The United Nations has initiated a number of activities to address the impact of HIV/AIDS on the health of peacekeepers. However, these prevention efforts face immediate obstacles that may impact their implementation. In addition, the long-term success of U.N. efforts will be difficult to ascertain due to the lack of baseline data on the knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS or on the sexual behavior of the contingents that make up its uniformed forces.

Implementation of U.N. Efforts Faces Immediate Obstacles

DPKO has focused its HIV/AIDS efforts on three interventions: (1) development and distribution of an HIV/AIDS awareness card, (2) training in HIV/AIDS prevention, and (3) the distribution of condoms. However, it is unclear if all contingents are implementing DPKO’s interventions, there are gaps in DPKO’s HIV/AIDS training curriculum, and not all contingents may make condoms readily available to peacekeepers under their command.

DPKO Begins Distribution of HIV/AIDS Awareness Card

Figure 2 displays the HIV/AIDS awareness card for peacekeepers. Developed jointly with UNAIDS, as of September 1, 2001, the card was available in English, French, and Russian. The awareness card includes facts about the disease and contains a pocket for a condom. The card states that AIDS is a deadly disease caused by the HIV virus and describes methods of protection against the disease. The back of the card provides a code of conduct calling for pride, respect, and consideration for law, customs, and traditions. The card also states that peacekeepers should limit alcohol use and avoid illegal drugs because they impair judgment and can lead people to take risks they may not otherwise take.

By September 2001, DPKO had distributed 15,000 HIV/AIDS awareness cards to peacekeeping contingents in Sierra Leone. According to DPKO, the official responsible for HIV/AIDS activities in Sierra Leone gave the contingents a lecture on HIV awareness when the cards were delivered to each contingent. DPKO leaves it up to contingents to include a condom with the card. DPKO plans to distribute the HIV/AIDS awareness card to U.N. peacekeeping operations in Ethiopia/Eritrea, Congo, East Timor, and Kosovo. In addition to being written in English, French, and Russian, the card is expected to be produced in Kiswahili, Arabic, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Spanish, and Portuguese. These represent the primary languages of 90 percent of the nationalities serving in peacekeeping operations worldwide. Since the contributing countries are responsible for the conduct of their forces, DPKO officials stated they are not certain if all peacekeepers will carry the card.

As part of its train-the-trainer program, DPKO provides senior officers from contributing countries with an intensive 2- to 3-week peacekeeper training program. The HIV/AIDS training is comprised of several modules on the impact of HIV on the military; the link between HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, and substance abuse; HIV risk assessment; prevention strategies; and behavior change. The contributing countries are responsible for ensuring that peacekeepers receive training before and after deployment.

Effective implementation of DPKO’s HIV/AIDS training faces some immediate obstacles. First, the curriculum was developed in the United States and does not address issues specific to some cultures. For example, cultural practices in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa, such as social acceptance of multiple sex partners for males and females, increase the rates of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. Therefore, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), training should be adopted to specifically address the risky behaviors unique to peacekeepers in question. Second, although gender issues are broadly addressed in the train-the-trainer program, according to the U.N. Development Fund for Women, the current HIV/AIDS training curriculum does not adequately address gender issues necessary to sensitize peacekeepers to respect girls and women rather than viewing them as sexual commodities. Third, according to UNAIDS, the training is too technical and requires trainers to have a medical background. In addition, HIV training competes with other training priorities, such as land mine awareness. Finally, because DPKO does not routinely monitor whether the contingents provide the training, it does not know whether peacekeepers received the training before and after being sent to the mission.

Unclear Whether All Contingents Make Condoms Readily Available to Peacekeepers

DPKO provides contingents with five condoms per troop per week. DPKO procures condoms for peacekeepers primarily from the U.N. Population Fund, delivers them to the commanders of each contingent, and makes them available in bathrooms, nightclubs, and other venues frequented by peacekeepers. DPKO relies on the commanders of each contingent to distribute the condoms to their contingents.

However, universal distribution of condoms to all peacekeepers faces religious and cultural obstacles. According to DPKO, commanders from south Asia and the Middle East object to making condoms readily available to their uniformed forces because sex with prostitutes outside of marriage is against their religious beliefs and would indicate tacit approval of such behavior. In addition, because DPKO does not routinely monitor condom distribution, it does not know whether peacekeepers have access to condoms.

Success of U.N. Efforts Will Be Difficult to Determine

The long-term effectiveness of the awareness card, HIV prevention training, and condom distribution will be difficult to determine. UNAIDS and DPKO have not collected baseline data on troop knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS or sexual behavior. Baseline data are essential to evaluating the impact of interventions such as the HIV/AIDS awareness cards and training on peacekeeper knowledge and behavior. For example, U.N. officials recognized that the awareness card has not been tested or proven to be an effective HIV/AIDS intervention. In spite of this, U.N. officials agreed to get the cards to the field as soon as possible in Sierra Leone, recognizing that the time spent pretesting and gathering data would delay the rollout. According to USAID, surveys of sexual behavior are needed for measuring condom use, which is expected to increase as a result of successful HIV awareness and training and serves as a proxy for estimating HIV transmission. Officials at DPKO stated that they are in discussions with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and DOD on the development of a data collection instrument to gather baseline data on HIV/AIDS knowledge and sexual behavior of peacekeepers.

U.N.’s Effort to Provide HIV/AIDS Assistance to Civilians Affected by Conflict Faces Difficulties

The United Nations has begun to address the spread of HIV/AIDS among civilians affected by armed conflict; however, according to U.N. officials, it does not give adequate priority to this effort and faces challenges obtaining funding. Furthermore, the United Nations has taken little action to target populations specifically at risk of HIV transmission from peacekeepers.

U.N.’s Effort to Address HIV/AIDS in Emergencies Is Inconsistent and Faces Funding Obstacles

Although U.N. agencies are implementing programs to provide HIV/AIDS education and care to populations affected by armed conflict, according to U.N. officials, the United Nations has not consistently given these programs priority and faces challenges in funding them. For example, the U.N. Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) has trained young people in post-conflict situations to be peer educators on HIV/AIDS, and the U.N. Population Fund has provided condoms and reproductive health kits in emergency situations (see app. IV for other efforts). According to U.N. officials, U.N. agencies that supply emergency assistance have not traditionally focused on HIV/AIDS and have been reluctant to address HIV/AIDS because they have not always viewed it as part of their mandate. U.N. officials also report that U.N. agencies have not consistently included HIV/AIDS programs in their appeals for funding in complex emergencies. In addition, U.N. officials report that due to a lack of cooperation, different U.N. agencies work on small-scale, ad hoc projects that tend to cover similar areas while leaving program gaps in other areas. In regard to funding, participants at the 2001 Inter-Agency Task Team on HIV/AIDS and Children in Conflict noted that HIV/AIDS programs have been underfunded because of a lack of response from U.N. member states.

The United Nations Has Taken Little Action to Assist Populations at Risk of Contracting HIV From Peacekeepers

Efforts to assist civilian populations at risk of contracting HIV from peacekeepers are a subset of the U.N.’s overall effort to address populations affected by armed conflict. While the United Nations has recognized the importance of assisting groups that might be at risk of HIV transmission from peacekeepers, to date it has taken little action. At the Expert Strategy Meeting on HIV/AIDS and peacekeeping in December 2000, delegates noted an urgent need to provide appropriate information and services to populations affected by peacekeeping operations. In response, DPKO now participates in some country-level HIV/AIDS theme groups even though there is no written policy requiring this participation.

UNAIDS has agreed to help fund personnel to serve as HIV/AIDS policy officers in each of the five largest peacekeeping operations. However, DPKO has only appointed a focal point in Sierra Leone, and DPKO and UNAIDS are still discussing whether this focal point will become the HIV officer for that operation.

Conclusions

The United Nations recognizes that HIV/AIDS is a security issue that threatens the effectiveness of U.N. peacekeeping missions. DPKO policy, which discourages but does not preclude countries from sending individuals with HIV on peacekeeping missions, underscores the tension between the U.N.’s peacekeeping policy and increased concern about the threat of HIV/AIDS. Legitimate concerns have been raised regarding both the stigmatization of peacekeepers who may have HIV/AIDS and the potential risk that they could transmit the disease to local populations. Because of the U.N’s opposition to mandatory HIV-testing and contributing countries’ wide variance in testing potential peacekeepers for HIV, DPKO has no knowledge of the HIV/AIDS prevalence rates among its contingents. Without this information, DPKO will find it difficult to focus interventions on the peacekeepers at highest risk of transmitting HIV. In fact, without routine monitoring of how the contingents implement DPKO’s efforts, DPKO does not know if peacekeepers receive training or have access to condoms.

Recommendations for Executive Action

To improve the United Nation’s ability to (1) measure the effectiveness of activities aimed at reducing risky behaviors among peacekeepers and (2) identify which contingents are at highest risk of transmitting or contracting sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, at each mission, we recommend to the Secretary of State and the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations that they request the U.N. Secretary General and the Executive Director of UNAIDS to develop and conduct behavior surveys of U.N. peacekeeping contingents to gather baseline and follow-up data on peacekeepers’ knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS and their sexual behavior; and analyze information gathered from these surveys to measure the effectiveness of their efforts and to identify which contingents are at highest risk of transmitting or contracting sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, at each mission to better target resources.

Agency Comments

We received oral comments from DOD and written comments from the Department of State and UNAIDS. The written comments from the Department of State and UNAIDS are reprinted in appendixes V and VI. In addition, the Department of State and UNAIDS provided technical comments to update or clarify key information. We incorporated these comments where appropriate.

DOD officials stated that the report was well written and that it accurately assessed the current situation with regard to HIV prevalence among U.N. peacekeepers. DOD agreed with our recommendations.

The Department of State stated that it will continue to consult with U.N. agencies involved in HIV/AIDS programs and peacekeeping operations to encourage programs to raise the level of HIV/AIDS awareness and reduce risky behaviors among U.N. peacekeepers, as well as efforts to measure the effectiveness of programs. The Department of State also said it would continue to encourage U.N. efforts to address the spread of HIV/AIDS among target populations in situations of violence and instability. The Department of State did not comment on our recommendations.

UNAIDS agreed with our recommendation that behavioral surveys should be carried out to gather baseline and follow-up data on U.N. peacekeepers’ knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS and their sexual behavior. UNAIDS disagreed with our characterization that the U.N.’s overall effort to address HIV/AIDS in emergencies is inconsistent. In their letter, UNAIDS lists a number of meetings in which concerns for vulnerable populations and peacekeeping are addressed. According to UNAIDS, these collaborative efforts demonstrate a consistency of approach that is contrary to our finding. While collaborative meetings are an important first step in efforts to assist vulnerable populations, U.N. agencies have undertaken few concrete actions to address this emerging problem. We found that that there has been a lack of consistency in U.N. actions to help vulnerable populations because emergency assistance agencies have tended not to include HIV/AIDS programs in their requests for funds and generally do not view HIV/AIDS prevention as part of their mandates.

We are sending copies of this report to interested congressional committees, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, and other interested parties. We will also make copies available to other parties upon request.

If you or your staff have any questions concerning this report, please call me at (202) 512-8979. Other GAO contacts and staff acknowledgments are listed in appendix VIII.

Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

At the request of the Chairman of the House Committee on International Relations, we (1) analyzed U.N. policies and guidance on the use and deployment of peacekeepers with HIV; (2) examined the data available on HIV prevalence rates among peacekeepers; (3) assessed actions the United Nations is taking to limit the spread of HIV/AIDS among peacekeepers; and (4) examined the actions the United Nations is taking to limit the impact of HIV/AIDS on civilians affected by armed conflict, including groups who may come in contact with peacekeepers.

In analyzing U.N. policies and guidance on the use and deployment of peacekeepers with HIV, we interviewed officials from the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Department of State, and the Department of Defense (DOD). We also questioned these officials concerning the context in which the policies were formulated and DPKO’s intent in issuing the policies. Additionally, we examined U.N. documents such as DPKO’s medical manual to determine the precise wording of the policies and guidance, as well as U.N. Security Council Resolutions and U.N. General Assembly Resolutions regarding the U.N.’s general policies on the rights of HIV-positive individuals in employment situations.

In examining the data available on HIV prevalence among U.N. peacekeepers, we interviewed officials from DPKO, UNAIDS, USAID, DOD, and other officials to identify whether data collection is being conducted among peacekeepers. We also asked these officials to identify and discuss any other data sources, including medical research and academic studies. We conducted searches for reports of HIV transmission to and from peacekeepers, and we attempted to verify the validity of these reports through discussions with U.N. officials. To determine HIV/AIDS prevalence among populations that may be chosen for U.N. peacekeeping duty, we examined the data available on HIV/AIDS prevalence among uniformed forces and civilian adult populations for countries that contribute peacekeepers. This included collecting and analyzing information in the U.S. Census Bureau’s HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data Base, June 2000; UNAIDS’ report on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, June 2000; and DPKO’s monthly summary of troop contributors. For our review of the risk factors that peacekeepers face during peacekeeping operations, we examined documents from UNAIDS, the Civil-Military Alliance to Combat HIV/AIDS, the International Crisis Group, and the National Intelligence Council. We also asked officials at DPKO, UNAIDS, DOD, Family Health International, and others to identify and discuss these risk factors.

In assessing the actions the United Nations is taking to limit the spread of HIV/AIDS among peacekeepers, we reviewed DPKO program documents, including the HIV/AIDS Awareness Card. We also reviewed documentation from UNAIDS, including best practice studies. In addition, we spoke with senior officials at DPKO and UNAIDS about the development and implementation of the HIV/AIDS Awareness Card and other initiatives. In our review of DPKO’s HIV prevention training, we examined the DPKO training manual and held discussions with DPKO’s senior medical advisor and the Director of the Civil Military Alliance who developed the HIV/AIDS curriculum. We also discussed the current training with senior officials at the U.N. Population Fund, the U.N. Development Fund for Women, and the U.S. Naval Health Research Center responsible for HIV/AIDS prevention training of foreign military personnel. With USAID contractors from the Measure Demographic and Health Survey and Family Health International (FHI), we discussed the use of sexual behavior surveys for measuring the progress of HIV/AIDS prevention efforts to reduce risky behaviors and how information about condom use can be used as a proxy indicator for estimating risk of HIV transmission.

In examining the actions the United Nations is taking to limit the impact of HIV/AIDS on civilians affected by armed conflict, we interviewed officials from DPKO, the U.N. Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization, the U.N. Population Fund, the U.N. Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, and several other U.N. agencies to assess the effectiveness of U.N. efforts to provide HIV/AIDS assistance in conflict and to determine the extent to which the United Nations has addressed groups at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS from peacekeepers. We also reviewed documents from U.N. interagency meetings that analyzed U.N. efforts to limit the impact of HIV/AIDS on civilians affected by conflict. To obtain information on U.N. agency programs and activities in combating HIV/AIDS, we examined the U.N. System Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS, 2001- 2005, and various U.N. Consolidated Interagency Appeals.

We conducted our fieldwork in Washington, D.C.; New York, N.Y.; and Geneva, Switzerland. We performed our work from April 2001 through November 2001 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.

U.N. Peacekeepers by Country, September 2001

Information Available on U.N. Peacekeeping Forces and HIV/AIDS

Six HIV cases in East Timor and six in Kosovo were confirmed; it is unclear if peacekeepers were deployed with HIV or if they contracted the infection while on deployment.

Data on HIV prevalence for samples of uniformed forces in three contributing countries show HIV prevalence above 5 percent.

Defense Intelligence Agency estimates 10-20 percent prevalence for the Nigerian military, 15-30 percent for the Tanzanian military, and 10-20 percent for the military in Côte d'Ivoire.

Contributing countries' HIV testing policies vary for uniformed forces being sent to peacekeeping operations.

Sexually transmitted infection rates are estimated to be two to five times higher among military personnel than in civilian populations, suggesting higher HIV rates as well.

Fourteen percent of peacekeepers come from countries with high civilian prevalence.

DPKO confirmed that one civilian member of a peacekeeping mission spread the infection while on deployment.

The rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia coincided with the U.N. peacekeeping mission.

Increased rates of HIV infection in East Timor conincided with the presence of U.N. peacekeepers.

Rates of sexually transmitted infections, which increase the risk of contracting HIV 5 to 20 times, are thought to be high among war- affected populations.

Ten Uruguayan peacekeepers in Cambodia tested negative prior to deployment and positive upon return to Uruguay.

Prevalence rates are high among samples of prostitutes in three countries where peacekeeping operations are ongoing: 27 percent in Sierra Leone; 29 percent in Congo; 73 percent in Ethiopia.

DPKO confirmed that two Bangladeshi peacekeepers contracted HIV in Cambodia and one in Mozambique.

HIV/AIDS prevalence among a sample of war-affected local populations in Sierra Leone was found to be 16 percent in 1995, although rates in the sample prior to the conflict are not known.

HIV/AIDS Activities of U.N. Agencies

Leads and coordinates international action for the worldwide protection of refugees and the resolution of refugee problems.

Provides shelter, food, water, medicine, and other basic necessities to refugees and other displaced persons.

Supports programs to prevent and care for HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections in refugee settings; provides technical assistance to partners.

UNHCR reports facing budgetary constraints that may limit its capacity to address HIV/AIDS among its beneficiaries.

Disseminates information on HIV/AIDS.

Implemented an HIV/AIDS education program for young refugees in southern Africa, in cooperation with other agencies.

Advocates for children’s rights to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.

Provides humanitarian assistance and protection to children in emergencies.

Develops and supports actions to reduce the vulnerability of children at high risk of HIV/AIDS, including those affected by conflict. Ensures protection and support for orphans and children in families vulnerable due to HIV/AIDS. $600 million projected for 2001-2005.

Training adolescent refugees to be peer HIV/AIDS educators.

Developing a training module for peacekeepers on gender and child protection.

Helps to eradicate poverty through sustainable human development activities.

Provides logistic, communications, and other support for international relief agencies and focuses on the relief- to- development transition.

Supports the U.N. response to HIV/AIDS through advocacy, capacity building, and training. $600 million projected for 2001-2005.

Leads the fight against global hunger through food distribution in emergencies and helps support social and economic development.

Meets the food needs of vulnerable populations.

Attempts to mitigate HIV/AIDS’ impact on food security by improving the longer- term food security of families and groups affected by HIV/AIDS.

No information available.

Makes its logistics services and food distribution sites available for HIV/AIDS prevention activities by other U.N. agencies.

Requires its truck drivers in Ethiopia to take 2-month HIV- prevention course.

Attempts to ensure that all people obtain the highest attainable level of health.

Mobilizes expertise and resources for rapid response. Gives high priority to assisting vulnerable groups, such as commercial sex workers and persons in emergency situations.

Aims to strengthen the health sector’s response to HIV/AIDS and to provide technical assistance to countries to improve their HIV/AIDS prevention and care interventions. $146 million projected for 2002-2003.

Developing a project for HIV/AIDS assistance to refugees, internally displaced persons, and returnees from Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone.

Producing a basic supply package for HIV/AIDS assistance in emergencies.

Aims to ensure universal access to high-quality reproductive health services to all couples and individuals by 2015.

Provides reproductive health kits, trains service providers to diagnose and treat sexually transmitted infections, and conducts information activities.

Advocates for HIV prevention and the integration of HIV prevention into national reproductive health programs. Aims to strengthen its emergency HIV/AIDS activities. $254 million projected for 2001-2005.

Provided health kits and technical support in Bosnia, East Timor, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kosovo.

Provided training on HIV/AIDS prevention and care for health providers working with Eritrean refugees in Sudan.

Coordinates the international humanitarian response in complex emergencies, supports the humanitarian community in policy development, and advocates on humanitarian issues.

Monitoring/early warning, contingency planning, interagency needs assessment, field coordination, and development of interagency funding appeals.

Advocates for the inclusion of HIV/AIDS programs into U.N. emergency appeals for funding.

No information available.

Provided training for other U.N. agencies on incorporating HIV/AIDS and other factors into U.N. emergency appeals.

Supports HIV/AIDS prevention and care, helps reduce the vulnerability of individuals and communities, and assists in alleviating the pandemic’s impact.

Provides strategic guidance to the U.N. system on HIV/AIDS, mobilizes partners and resources, and assists partners in information activities. UNAIDS’ 132 country-level “theme groups” on HIV/AIDS coordinate the U.N. response to HIV/AIDS at the country level. $305 million projected for 2001-2005.

Created a humanitarian unit to address HIV/AIDS and security issues, including peacekeeping.

Funded a study to be conducted by the U.N. Children’s Fund to improve HIV/AIDS interventions for children in conflict.

Together with DPKO, plans to deploy five high-level HIV/AIDS officers to five peacekeeping operations.

Promotes women’s human rights, economic security, and political participation; promotes U.N. efforts to support women’s empowerment and to incorporate gender into U.N. policies and programs.

Advocates for increased gender sensitivity in U.N. programs operating in complex emergencies.

Attempts to increase understanding of the links between human rights, gender, and HIV/AIDS. Advocates for a revised code of conduct for peacekeepers and for greater gender awareness in peacekeeper HIV/AIDS training. $8 million projected for 2001-2005. Fifty percent of UNIFEM’s HIV/AIDS resources are assigned to programs in Africa.

Produced a joint manual on gender, human rights, and HIV/AIDS.

Plans to deploy a gender adviser in Sierra Leone, in conjunction with UNAIDS.

Developing a guide for women on negotiating safer sex.

Comments From the Department of State

Comments From UNAIDS

GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments

GAO Contact

Acknowledgments

In addition to the person named above, key contributors to this report were Richard Boudreau, Lynn Cothern, Andrew Von Ah, Eve Weisberg, and Tom Zingale.

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