Gabrielle Simm's critical re-evaluation of sex between international personnel and local people examines the zero tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and its international legal framework. Whereas most preceding studies of the issue have focused exclusively on military peacekeepers, Sex in Peace Operations also covers the private military contractors and humanitarian NGO workers who play increasingly important roles in peace operations. Informed by socio-legal studies, Simm uses three case studies (Bosnia, West Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to illustrate the extent of the problem and demonstrate that the problems of impunity for sexual crimes are not just a failure of political will but the result of the structural weaknesses of international law in addressing non-state actors. Combining the insights of feminist critique with a regulatory approach to international law, her conclusions will interest scholars of international law, peace and conflict studies, gender and sexuality, and development.

• Covers the main actors in peace operations, including humanitarian NGO workers and private military contractors in addition to the usual discussion of military peacekeepers • Takes a fresh approach to a long-standing problem by using the socio-legal approach of regulatory studies • Sheds new light on the regulation of non-state actors by exploring how gender and sex affect regulation

Contents

1. Introduction; 2. A feminist framework for regulating peace operations; 3. Law as regulation; 4. Above the law? Sex trafficking by private military contractors in Bosnia; 5. Aid for sex: humanitarian NGO workers in West Africa; 6. 'Zero compliance with zero tolerance': UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; 7. Conclusion.

Review

'… this is an outstanding work that examines international law on peacekeeping sex from a regulatory perspective, and underlines the importance of considering all aspects of sex between local people and private military contractors in peace support operations. It stands as a unique scholarly reference on the subject and will serve as an essential tool to academics, students of peacekeeping studies and feminist legal scholars both immediately and for several years to come.' Hilmi M. Zawati, International Peacekeeping