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UN employees have no immunity in crime, sexual abuse cases: Spokesperson

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By Arul Louis
United Nations, Feb 21 (IANS) UN employees have no immunity in cases involving crimes including sexual abuse, according to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

His remarks came after a contractor for the UN Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) in Bihar, accused the organisation’s senior staff in India of “harassment”.

“Sexual abuse is a crime and immunity is not there to protect people who commit crimes,” the UN chief’s spokesperson said on Tuesday when asked about the status of UNFPA staff in India against whom allegations were made.

“The vast majority of UN staff have functional immunity … to cover what they do for work,” Dujarric said, clarifying their protected status. “If you commit a crime, that is, by definition, not part of your function and, therefore, not covered by immunity.”

Prashanti Tiwari, a contractor for UNFPA, had complained to Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj about the alleged harassment by UNFPA staff and asked for her intervention to have their legal immunity waived.

Tiwari had accused a senior staff member of UNFPA of “harassing” her and also said that two other UNFPA staffers subjected her to “mental and verbal abuse”. Attempt to get a response from UNFPA in New Delhi was not successful.

On being asked about the issue, Nadeem Noor, head of UNFPA in Bihar, told IANS that as he was on leave for last 15 days due to which he was not aware of any such development. “We will look into the report if there is any such issue,” he said.

Tiwari is the architect of Bandhan Tod — a campaign against the rampant social evil of child marriage in Bihar to save the future of young girls. She is also the manager of Gender Alliance, a collective of over 270 charities which attracted international attention on empowerment of young girls through the Bandhan Tod strategy.

She wrote in her letter to Sushma Swaraj that she was harassed after she provided “evidence” of “religious intolerance” and “sexual harassment” during a deposition before a UNFPA human resources mission last year, reports said.

Tiwari reportedly asserted that it was difficult to take legal action because UN officials enjoyed legal immunity. “Her claims will, like any others, be looked into according to UNFPA policies and procedures,” said the UN chief’s spokesperson.

Dujarric declined to get into the specifics of the case as he said he did not have enough details about it. UNFPA have an online “Investigation Hotline” for reporting cases of harassment, sexual harassment or abuse of authority, apart from reporting about fraud, or embezzlement.

(Arul Louis can be reached at [email protected])
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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