UN chief ‘shocked’ by video of car sex act in Israel

TEL AVIVE: The United Nations says it is "shocked and deeply disturbed" by footage of an apparent sex act in one of its official cars in Israel.

The clip shows a woman in a red dress straddling a man in the back seat of a white 4x4 with UN markings. The video, shared widely on social media, was apparently filmed on a main street by Tel Aviv's seafront. The UN said it was investigating the incident and was close to identifying the individuals seen in the video.

Those involved are believed to be staff members of a peacekeeping organisation in Israel, the UN said. Another passenger can be seen slumped in the front, but the driver can't be seen as the car moves away.

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN's Secretary General, António Guterres, described the behaviour seen in the 18-second video as "abhorrent".

That kind of behaviour "goes against everything we stand for and having been working to achieve in terms of fighting misconduct by UN staff", Mr Dujarric told the BBC on Friday.

When asked if the apparent sex act was consensual or involved payment, Mr Dujarric said those questions were part of the ongoing investigation.

The UN has strict policies against sexual misconduct by its staff members. Staff may be disciplined if they are found to be in breach of conduct rules. They may be repatriated or banned from UN peacekeeping operations, but it is the responsibility of their home nation to take further disciplinary or legal action. The UN has long been under scrutiny over allegations of sexual misconduct by its peacekeepers and other staff. There have been frequent allegations in recent years.

Secretary General Guterres has pledged to take a “zero-tolerance” approach to sexual misconduct with the UN’s ranks.