Your report on sexual harassment at the United Nations (19 January) raises disturbing issues that we take very seriously. As an organisation, we express our deep sympathy for staff members who have felt let down. Sexual harassment is strictly prohibited at the United Nations, and there can be no impunity.

The secretary-general, António Guterres, has revised UN policies on investigations and disciplinary processes; and he has strengthened whistle-blower protection for those who report harassment. He has called on a group of senior managers to work as a rapid response unit and has set in motion a broader examination of policies, investigation capacity and support for victims across the whole of the UN.

He is also tackling gender and power imbalances that can create an enabling environment for harassment, by launching a gender parity strategy and achieving parity among his own senior management team. We can always do better.

Our policy is zero tolerance. Even one case of sexual harassment, anywhere, is one too many. But contrary to the article, the United Nations does not prevent staff from speaking to the media, and UN staff accused of crimes do not enjoy diplomatic immunity. We seek to facilitate criminal proceedings by waiving immunity in such cases.

Jan Beagle

Under-secretary-general for management, United Nations

• Grievance systems are written by employers, so are widely stacked against victims. So the decisions of a school’s governing body responding to a grievance where the employee has been abused are unchallengeable, so long as the governors follow the school’s set procedure – which they have put in place themselves. The teaching unions know the best they can usually do is to get their member some pay-off to leave, including a gagging agreement, in return for a reasonable reference; no redress, no change.

Mark Lewinski

Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire

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