30.01.08 - RWANDA/KI-MOON - UN BOSS URGES HIGHEST ETHICAL STANDARDS FROM STAFF

Kigali,30 January,2008(FH)-The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has urged his staff to demonstrate highest standards of ethics while executing their peace missions. ‘'We must stand on the highest level of ethical standards,'' the UN boss said Tuesday evening when he met the staff of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) stationed in Kigali.

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ICTR, which has its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, is trying the key suspects of the 1994 genocide, which according to UN estimates, claimed lives of 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

Mr Ki-moon also exhorted superior staff to be exemplary to their subordinates.' Your accountability should be demonstrated from the top...if upstream is not clean, you can't have down stream clean.''

He assured UN staff of his commitment to improve their working environment and safety in order to fulfill their international duty more efficiently and vigorously.

He also reminded the UN staff that he would have zero tolerance towards any reported sexual assaults. ‘'I have taken very firm disciplinary measures whenever such issue has reached my attention.''

Mr Ki-moon, however, lauded the role of UN servicemen in different countries, saying their undertaking was crucial in maintaining global peace and harmony.

The UN Secretary General later held a closed-door meeting with high level delegation of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), headed by its President Justice Dennis Byron.

Others included the Prosecutor Hassan Jallow, the Registrar, Mr Adama Dieng, and ICTR's spokesman, Roland Amoussouga.

It was reliably learnt that Mr Ki-moon was briefed on the exit strategy of the tribunal, which is scheduled to wind up first instance trials by end of December, this year as ordered by the UN Security Council.

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© Hirondelle News Agency