Just Let’s Wiggle a Little Bit”: Survivors Expose Sexual Harassment in UNHCR

This week, I continue my mission to expose the endemic issue of sexual harassment within the United Nations system. Once again, #UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, finds itself under the spotlight.

The sexual predator, a senior staff member holding the position of Deputy Representative of #UNHCR Operations in Niger at the P5 level, was the second-highest-ranking official in the country office. This article is based on the recent judgment, Kourouma v. Secretary-General of the United Nations (UNDT/2024/107), issued on December 6, 2024. The original version of the judgment is in French, but I am writing this article in English to reach a wider audience.

Let’s hear it directly from the testimonies of the three survivors.

“Just Let’s Wiggle a Little Bit”: A Traumatic Experience

MW - Senior Programme Monitoring Officer at UNHCR Libya, based in Tunis, Tunisia.

MW, a senior staff member based in Tunisia, recounted an incident during her mission to Niger in 2018. Her testimony revealed how, on the last day of her mission, the perpetrator invited her to his office under professional pretenses. As they bid farewell, he forcibly hugged her, attempted to kiss her on the mouth, and when she turned her head away, kissed her cheek instead. MW recounted how he said in French,

"Ah, tu ne veux pas être embrassée ?" or "Tu aimes pas ça ?"

(“Oh, you don’t want to be kissed?” or “You don’t like that?”), and then added in English,

"Just let’s wiggle a little bit,"

as he pressed his body against hers and rubbed his genitals against her lower abdomen.

She left the office immediately, deeply shocked and horrified by the experience.

Caught in the Predator’s Gaze

JL - Refugee Status Determination Expert, Associate Staff Member, UNHCR Niger.

JL, an associate staff member who joined UNHCR Niger in September 2019, described an unsettling incident on December 2, 2021. At the time, JL and the perpetrator had minimal contact due to their lack of professional overlap. On that day, as JL was sitting with a colleague after lunch, the perpetrator entered the room unexpectedly and placed his hand on JL’s shoulder, ostensibly to massage her. When JL stood to fetch water, she felt the perpetrator’s gaze fixed inappropriately on her chest. Upon returning, he caressed her hand and ring, inquiring whether it was an engagement ring or a wedding band. Feeling uncomfortable and caught off guard, JL answered ambiguously. He then shifted the conversation to his own ring before JL left the room, deeply uneasy.

“I felt trapped and deeply uncomfortable, yet I didn’t know how to react given his seniority. Why was he doing this? We didn’t have any kind of relationship, and it was during the pandemic when personal contact was discouraged. I couldn’t understand his fixation with my ring; it felt invasive and deeply inappropriate.”

“La Petite”: Harassment Escalates Into Retaliation

GR1 - Associate External Relations Officer, UNHCR Niger.

GR1, an Associate External Relations Officer in Niger, endured persistent and invasive harassment from the perpetrator throughout her tenure. His behavior escalated over time, crossing professional boundaries and becoming increasingly inappropriate. The perpetrator frequently hugged GR1, with these embraces lasting too long and bringing her chest close to his.

He would touch her back, hair, or even her buttocks, behaviors she described as inappropriate and “beyond simple greetings.” Each time he saw her—whether in the hallway or her office—he would touch her or caress her in ways that were uncomfortable and unwelcome. She attempted to ask him to stop but was ignored.

The perpetrator made phone calls to GR1 outside of work hours, which were often unrelated to professional matters. He attempted to invite her out, but she declined, explaining that she was not interested and had a young baby she was nursing.

When GR1 resisted his advances, the perpetrator retaliated by criticizing her job performance and casting doubts on her career prospects. His abuse of authority created an environment where GR1 felt compelled to avoid him, sometimes even hesitating to come to work.

GR1 recounted how the perpetrator avoided using her name and instead referred to her dismissively as “la petite” (the little one), a term she found inappropriate in a professional setting.

“Every time he hugged me, it felt like more than a greeting—it was intimate, sexual, and deeply unsettling. He touched me as one might touch a lover, sometimes even in the presence of others. It made me feel powerless and degraded. I began to avoid him at all costs, sometimes even dreading going to work. He abused his authority, and I couldn’t bring myself to report him. When I resisted his advances, he turned on me, questioning my competence and sabotaging my career prospects.”

Systemic Failures in Institutional Accountability

The testimonies of these three survivors underscore the systemic failure within the #UnitedNations to address sexual harassment effectively. Their accounts are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of unchecked abuse, enabled by institutional inertia and a lack of accountability.

The tribunal’s findings are a critical indictment of both the perpetrator and the institution’s response mechanisms. The judgment noted the organization’s failure to address systemic issues. Despite UNHCR’s Code of Conduct sessions and policies on harassment, the supervisor’s behavior persisted unchecked for years. Indeed, one must ask, why did this senior staff member continue to sexually harass women without any action taken against him?

Gaslighting as a New Weapon: "Sexism Against Men"

 During the tribunal hearing, the perpetrator attempted to deflect blame by claiming "sexism against men," suggesting that male managers were the real victims. He argued,

“It’s unfair that female employees behave in certain ways towards men and then complain of harassment and discrimination.”

This statement highlights a troubling and insidious new tactic employed by some senior male staff: weaponizing claims of reverse sexism to undermine genuine complaints. Such gaslighting adds another layer to the persistent problem of sexual harassment and serves to silence victims further while deflecting accountability from perpetrators.

The survivors’ reluctance to report their experiences speaks volumes about the culture of retaliation within the #UN. Their silence is not an isolated phenomenon but rather indicative of a pervasive fear that reporting misconduct will result in swift and career-ending retribution. Take a loot at the the case of Martina Brostrom , who dared to denounce former UN Aids Deputy Executive Director Luis Loures. Brostrom faced severe professional and personal consequences after coming forward with allegations. Her experience demonstrates the dire need for robust protections for whistleblowers within the UN system.

Inefficiency of the Ethics Office and Reporting Mechanisms

The Ethics Office, tasked with safeguarding staff from retaliation, is emblematic of the systemic rot within the UN. Staff in the Ethics Office have no real or genuine interest in understanding the complexity of such cases, and I don’t blame them. They are severely understaffed and receive hundreds of complaints every day.

Moreover, there is no segregation between reporting lines, meaning the office often ends up reporting to the Executive Office, creating yet another conflict of interest. This deeply flawed system fails to inspire confidence and leaves victims vulnerable to further abuse. And so, the saga continues...

Credibility of Victim Testimony: The Power of Voice Without Witnesses

Another important reminder from this judgment is the emphasis made again by the UNDT on the credibility of the victims’ testimonies. The tribunal emphasized that credible oral testimonies are sufficient to establish allegations of sexual harassment, even in the absence of corroborating evidence. It highlighted the consistency and detail in the victims’ accounts as key factors in reaching its decision.

As the UN Dispute Tribunal noted in Applicant UNDT/2022/071, paras. 76-77, in cases of sexual harassment,

"due consideration must be given to the victim’s account, as these situations are not taken lightly by those affected. In fact, due to the sensitive nature of the matter, it is often extremely difficult for victims to file formal complaints and go through official procedures."

It is well-established that "in cases of sexual harassment, credible oral testimony alone can be fully sufficient to substantiate a conclusion of serious misconduct, even without additional corroboration" (Hallal; Haidar 2021-UNAT-1076, para. 43).

Further, the tribunal dismissed arguments that cultural misunderstandings could explain the perpetrator’s behavior. It reaffirmed that the perception of the victim is central to determining harassment. 

Unmasking Predators: Survivors Take a Stand

Both #UNHCR, the agency tasked with protecting refugees, and #OHCHR, entrusted with upholding human rights, appear to be grappling with an alarming increase in sexual predators within their ranks. Many of these perpetrators remain employed and unpunished, while their victims continue to suffer in silence.

Victims and survivors speak to me daily, sharing stories of fear, retaliation, and prolonged sick leave as their only escape from the hostile work environment. How can these organizations continue to turn a blind eye to such pervasive misconduct?

What we are witnessing now is a form of reverse accountability. Victims and survivors no longer trust in the system designed to protect them.

Neither the Secretary-General, the OIOS, the IGO, the Ethics Office, nor the Ombudsman have taken meaningful action to provide genuine safeguards or justice. Instead, survivors are left to fend for themselves, their trust in the system completely eroded.

Many have shifted their focus from seeking protection to demanding exposure of their abusers. They want these sexual predators held accountable and their contracts terminated, and I agree with them.