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Circle of Leadership

  1. In 2017, the United Nations Secretary-General launched a new strategy to prevent and end sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations personnel (A/71/818).  A major element of this new approach was the creation of a Circle of Leadership on the prevention of and response to sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations operations (Circle of Leadership) made up of global leaders who actively support this agenda.
  2. The Circle of Leadership represents a visible and formidable symbol of Members’ commitment to end impunity, to strengthen measures to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse, to respond rapidly and decisively to credible reports of such acts, and to meet the needs of victims quickly and appropriately. It also provides the global high-level political support necessary for success.  On 18 September 2017, the Circle of Leadership was formally established by the Secretary-General at the High-level Meeting on the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.  As at 27 July 2023, 108 sitting and former heads of State/Government are Members of the Circle of Leadership.
  3. Eight informal expert meetings of Member States whose Head of State/Government are members of the Circle of Leadership have been held to discuss ways to ensure that the political momentum of the Secretary-General’s strategy to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse is sustained and intensified. These meetings took place on: 29 May 2018 (co-sponsors: Australia and Uruguay); 25 June 2018 (co-sponsors:  Finland and Morocco); 27 July 2018 (co-sponsors: The Kingdom of Bhutan and the United Kingdom); 17 August 2018 (co-sponsors: Bangladesh and Italy); 30 August 2018 (co-sponsors: Canada and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia); 29 April 2019 (co-sponsors: The Republic of Korea and the Republic of South Africa), 10 July 2019 (co-sponsors: Austria and the Arab Republic of Egypt), and 21 July 2020.
  4. During these meetings Representatives of the Permanent Missions reiterated the commitment of their Head of State/Government to the Secretary-General’s strategy and the Circle of Leadership.  They welcomed the opportunity to exchange ideas informally on progress made, good practices and related issues. All agreed that continuing expert-level engagement to discuss best practice and promote greater visibility of the Circle of Leadership was critical. 
  5. On 27 September 2018, 49 Members of the Secretary-General’s Circle of Leadership on the prevention of and response to sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations operations, and 21 United Nations Entities joined him in issuing a “Collective Statement” to reaffirm their continued personal commitment as global leaders to support efforts to combat sexual exploitation and abuse across the United Nations system.
  6. As part of the Secretary-General’s social media campaign which took place from 24 September to 2 October 2019, reaffirming their support and commitment to the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, 76 participants responded to the Secretary-General’s tweet, including heads of state or government of the Secretary-General’s Circle of Leadership; Special Representatives of the Secretary-General from peacekeeping and special political missions, Heads and senior officials from across the United Nations as well as members of the Secretary-General’s Civil Society Advisory Board, issued a tweet, all gathered in a Twitter Moment.

 

Membership of the Secretary-General's Circle of Leadership 

As at 1 November 2023, the membership of the Secretary-General’s Circle of Leadership on the prevention of and response to sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations operations stands at 66 sitting heads of State/Government.

Sitting heads of State/Government

  1. Principality of Andorra, Prime Minister Xavier Espot Zamora
  2. Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
  3. Austria, President Alexander van der Bellen
  4. People's Republic of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
  5. Belgium, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo
  6. Kingdom of Bhutan, Prime Minister Dr. Lotay Tshering
  7. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Members of the Presidency Milorad Dodik, Šefik Džaferović and Zeljko Komšić
  8. Botswana, President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi
  9. Brazil, President Jair Messias Bolsonaro
  10. Bulgaria, President Rumen Radev
  11. Burkina Faso, President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré
  12. Republic of Cabo Verde, Prime Minister José Ulisses Correia e Silva
  13. Kingdom of Cambodia, Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen
  14. Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
  15. Union of the Comoros, President Azali Assoumani
  16. Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, President Alassane Ouattara
  17. Republic of Cyprus, President Nikos Christodoulides
  18. Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen
  19. Republic of Djibouti, President and Head of Government Ismael Omar Guelleh
  20. Arab Republic of Egypt, President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi
  21. Republic of Estonia, President Kersti Kaljulaid
  22. Republic of Fiji, Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama
  23. Finland, President Sauli Niinistö
  24. France, President Emmanuel Macron
  25. Georgia, President Salome Zourabichvili
  26. Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel
  27. Ghana, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
  28. Greece, President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou
  29. Co-operative Republic of Guyana, President Mohamed Irfaan Ali
  30. Iceland, Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir
  31. India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
  32. Ireland, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar
  33. Italy, President of the Council of Ministers Mario Draghi
  34. Japan, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
  35. Republic of Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta
  36. Kingdom of Lesotho, Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro
  37. Luxembourg, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel
  38. Republic of Malawi, President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera
  39. Republic of Maldives, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
  40. Micronesia (Federated States of), President David W. Panuelo
  41. Kingdom of Morocco, King Mohammed VI
  42. Mozambique, President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi
  43. Republic of Namibia, President Hage G. Geingob
  44. Kingdom of the Netherlands, Prime Minister Mark Rutte
  45. Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari
  46. North Macedonia, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski
  47. Kingdom of Norway, Prime Minister Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre
  48. Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan
  49. Portugal, Prime Minister António Luís Santos da Costa
  50. Romania, President Klaus Werner Iohannis
  51. Republic of Rwanda, President Paul Kagame
  52. Saint Lucia, Prime Minister Allen Michael Chastanet
  53. Republic of Senegal, President Macky Sall
  54. Slovak Republic, President Zuzana Čaputová
  55. Republic of Slovenia, Prime Minister Dr Robert Golob
  56. Republic of South Africa, President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa
  57. Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón
  58. Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa
  59. Switzerland, President Alain Berset
  60. Thailand, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha
  61. Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, President Francisco Guterres Lú Olo
  62. Togo, President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé
  63. Republic of Uganda, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
  64. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
  65. United States of America, President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
  66. Republic of Zambia, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu