UN employee Cynthia Brzak has decided to pursue her case of sexual harassment against former Dutch prime minister Ruud Lubbers and asked the US Supreme Court to revoke his diplomatic immunity. Ms Brzak submitted the request together with a colleague.
She claims she was indecently assaulted by Mr Lubbers in December 2003 when he was UN High Commissioner for Refugees and she worked for the UNHCR personnel department. The then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan found against Ms Brzak but reprimanded Mr Lubbers for sending her a letter while the internal UN investigation was still taking place, warning her that her job could be at stake if she didn't withdraw her complaint.
Mr Lubbers resigned when this became public in February 2005. Ms Brzak's job at the UNHCR was abolished the same year. She claims Mr Lubbers worked behind the scenes to exact his revenge and she took her case to the US courts.
In March this year, a court of appeal in New York dismissed the case on the grounds that UN personnel enjoy diplomatic immunity. If the Supreme Court takes the case, a verdict is not expected until after the summer.
Mr Lubbers continues to insist that the alleged indecent assault was simply "a friendly gesture".
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Very doubtful that money is the motive for Ms Brzak's complaint, but given the confirmation by UN investigators that Lubbers did indeed engage in "unwanted touching" of staffer Cynthia Brzak following a December 2003 meeting in Geneva, there should be justice for both her, for Angelina Jolie - and for many other women who have suffered sexual harassment in the UN. It is a systemic problem that must - and will- be addressed given the political realities in America, in Holland, and even in the UN proper.
I get the feeling that somehow money will be the motive of this womans case in the end.
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