UN chief fights to stay after sex revelations

Ruud Lubbers, the senior UN official engulfed in a sexual harassment scandal, made a defiant bid to stay in office last night, despite the damning conclusions of a confidential report revealed in The Independent.

Mr Lubbers, who is under mounting pressure to step down, met with Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general, in New York in a bid to keep his post as the High Commissioner for Refugees. Mr Lubbers told reporters he would stay on and rejected allegations he harassed a subordinate: "This is made up," he said. "I think it must have just grown in her mind."

Privately, UN staff had expressed hope that Mr Lubbers, formerly the longest-serving Dutch Prime Minister, would resign.

A senior UN source, who preferred not to be named, told The Independent: "[Mr Lubbers met with Annan] to ask for an extension to his term beyond the end of this year. He's prepared a long dossier on why he is the innocent victim in all of this and will be stating his case to Annan."

A 51-year-old administrative employee's claims she had been sexually harassed by Mr Lubbers were upheld in a report by the UN watchdog, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). She said he had grabbed her, thrust his groin into her buttocks and held her in that position. Mr Lubbers has denied it. But investigators established what they described as a "pattern of conduct" after speaking to other women who claimed to have had encounters with him. No other women were prepared to give signed testimony accusing the UNHCR chief.

Despite the report's findings, Mr Annan closed the matter after taking legal advice and concluding there was insufficient evidence. The report was buried until this week. The UNHCR, responsible for marshalling the aid effort for the world's 17 million refugees, could face a morale crisis if the scandal is not quickly closed.

The UN source said Mr Lubbers had "pressured" colleagues to influence the outcome of the inquiry. The OIOS report also heavily criticised Mr Lubbers for abuse of authority during the investigation.

"Not only did Mr Lubbers engage in acts of misconduct in that he foisted unwanted physical attention of a sexual nature on a subordinate female staff member but also that he extensively and intentionally abused his authority as High Commissioner."

- INDEPENDENT