UN Secretary-General-elect Antonio Guterres said while visiting Beijing on Monday that he wants UN peacekeepers to be better trained and more respectful of human rights. Guterres stressed [Reuters report] the need “to make sure that there is an effective combination of human rights, of the civil and political rights and the economic and social rights in a balanced way.” Guterres praised China’s efforts in UN peacekeeping missions saying, “China can play a very important role in the diplomacy for peace that the world badly needs today.” China is the biggest contributor [AP report] of peacekeepers among the permanent members of the Security Council having sent more than 30,000 on 29 separate missions. Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to set up a permanent peacekeeping force of 8,000 to be “deployed whenever necessary.”

The UN is currently facing allegations of child rape and other sexual abuses by its peacekeepers, particularly in Central African Republic (CAR) and Congo. Three peacekeepers accused [JURIST report] of sexual misconduct in the CAR went to trial in April. The current UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official website] stated [JURIST report] that it is important to address the issue and that the troops sent to protect the area acted in a despicable manner with a depraved and dark hearts. In March Ban released [JURIST report] a report that recommended increased measures to be taken for all countries involved in the rise of allegations against UN peacekeepers of sexual abuse and exploitation. The report documents a total of 99 allegations in 2015, 69 from countries with peacekeeping missions.