Former Save the Children boss quits Unicef

Justin Forsyth (pictured with Samantha Cameron in 2013) admitted that he engaged in ‘unsuitable and thoughtless conversations’ with three young female members of staff

The former boss of Save the Children has quit his role at Unicef after revelations he sent a ‘barrage’ of ‘unsuitable’ texts to female staff.

Unicef last night said it was trying to get a ‘better understanding’ of Justin Forsyth’s behaviour when he led the British charity.

Mr Forsyth admitted on Tuesday that he engaged in ‘unsuitable and thoughtless conversations’ with three young female members of staff while he was chief executive of Save the Children UK from 2010 to 2016.

A statement from former Save the Children chief executive Forsyth said: ‘With heavy heart, I am today tendering my resignation to UNICEF as Deputy Executive Director.

‘It has been a huge honour to work for UNICEF over the last two years, fighting for the rights of children around the world. 

‘It is an extraordinary force for good and I know it will have even more impact in the coming years under the leadership of Executive Director Fore. 

‘I wish my friends and colleagues at UNICEF and the UN well.

‘I want to make clear I am not resigning from UNICEF because of the mistakes I made at Save the Children. They were dealt with through a proper process many years ago. I apologised unreservedly at the time and face to face. I apologise again.

‘There is no doubt in my mind that some of the coverage around me is not just to (rightly) hold me to account, but also to attempt to do serious damage to our cause and the case for aid. 

‘I am resigning because of the danger of damaging both UNICEF and Save the Children and our wider cause. Two organisations I truly love and cherish. I can’t let this happen.

‘I have given 30 years of my life to fight against injustice and poverty and for children. From South Africa to Rwanda to Syria I have tried my best to help tilt the course of events for children and the most disadvantaged. 

Unicef appointed Mr Forsyth (pictured) as its deputy executive director in 2016

Unicef appointed Mr Forsyth (pictured) as its deputy executive director in 2016

‘We have sometimes failed, but I feel privileged to have had the chance to help millions of children. I have worked with some extraordinarily talented and committed people at both UNICEF and Save the Children.

‘Finally, I want to thank my wife Lisa for her love. I am looking forward to spending more time with her and my son.’ 

Mr Forsyth ‘apologised unreservedly’ for sending the offending text messages commenting on how colleagues looked and what they were wearing, which he accepted had ’caused offence and hurt’.

Whistleblowers from Save the Children told the BBC that Mr Forsyth (pictured) had made comments on their appearance, their clothes and how he felt about them

Whistleblowers from Save the Children told the BBC that Mr Forsyth (pictured) had made comments on their appearance, their clothes and how he felt about them

Unicef appointed Mr Forsyth as its deputy executive director in 2016. 

A spokesman said yesterday: ‘Unicef was not aware of the complaints against Mr Forsyth at the time of his recruitment.

‘We understand that informal mediation is confidential. We continue to work with him and Save the Children to get a better understanding of the facts.’

The agency added that there have been ‘no such [similar] complaints’ about Mr Forsyth since he joined Unicef, and called him a ‘passionate and effective advocate for children’.

Whistleblowers from Save the Children told the BBC that Mr Forsyth had made comments on their appearance, their clothes and how he felt about them.

It was claimed that if the women did not reply to the texts, he would send them a follow-up email and even call them in for a chat if they still did not respond.

One woman who complained about his behaviour said: ‘The complaints of harassment were not treated with the appropriate degree of seriousness.

Tory peer picked to run watchdog  

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock last night pushed through the appointment of a Tory peer to regulate charities despite objections from some MPs.

He said former Lords leader Tina Stowell, pictured, was selected in an ‘open, fair and transparent’ process to chair the Charity Commission and she has his full backing.

Her appointment was opposed by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee which said she lacked the ‘experience, neutrality or capability’ to do the job.

But Mr Hancock made clear he believes her to be the ‘best candidate’ for the job. He also won the strong backing of No 10. Theresa May’s spokesman said the Oxfam scandal showed regulators should be independent.

 

‘It seemed like there was more interest in the organisation in preventing exposure of the misconduct than in protecting its female employees from predatory behaviour.’

In a statement Save the Children UK said its then-chairman Sir Alan Parker, who also worked as a PR executive, oversaw the complaints procedure. It was carried out by the charity’s human resources department and two trustees.

It resulted in Mr Forsyth apologising to the women, at which point ‘the matters were closed’.

He announced his resignation from Save the Children just months after concerns about his conduct were raised for a second time in 2015. 

A Save the Children spokesman said: ‘We can confirm we are currently in discussion with Unicef about Mr Forsyth. For legal reasons, we cannot comment further on aspects of this case.’

The charity said sorry on Tuesday for historic inappropriate behaviour by its former chief executive and said procedures had not been properly followed in reviewing three complaints against him.

The apology came as charities in the aid sector pledged to overhaul their approach to dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment.

Save the Children UK said concerns were raised in 2011 and 2015 about inappropriate comments and behaviour by Mr Forsyth and reviews in both cases resulted in ‘unreserved apologies’ to the women involved.

But the charity said human resources processes had not been followed in every aspect.

It said current chief executive Kevin Watkins will launch a ‘root and branch review of organisational culture’, following broader concerns about sexual abuse and harassment in the aid sector.

Mr Forsyth is a former aide to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He married his wife Lisa in 2012 and now lives in New York.

The revelations come days after Brendan Cox, the widower of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox, a friend of Mr Forsyth and former chief strategist at the charity, quit following separate allegations of sexual misconduct. The pair worked together at Save the Children.

A Save The Children source said: ‘Brendan and Justin were a formidable double act. But they were too big for their boots.’

Mr Forsyth was previously married to Catherine McCarthy. They wed in Hendon, north London, in 1991 when he had a senior role at Oxfam.

Miss McCarthy, who now also lives in the US, last night said the behaviour admitted to by her former husband was ‘completely out of character’. She added: ‘In all the years I have known Justin, I have never seen any of this kind of behaviour.’

Insiders insist Mr Forsyth’s subsequent departure from the charity had nothing to do with the complaint against him, nor the handling of the Cox scandal. Mr Forsyth was then appointed deputy executive director of Unicef in New York, which he has now resigned from. 

Mr Forsyth held senior roles at Oxfam from 1995 to 2004. He took up his special adviser role to Tony Blair until 2007 before becoming Gordon Brown’s special adviser until 2010.

Save the Children’s new chief executive Mr Watkins has admitted to MPs that the charity had investigated more than 200 complaints of misconduct in 2016 alone.   

Brendan Cox has been accused of drunkenly harassing a Save the Children employee in London by forcing her against a wall outside a bar and holding her by the throat (Pictured, Mr Cox during a special service for his wife at Trafalgar Square in June 2016)

Brendan Cox has been accused of drunkenly harassing a Save the Children employee in London by forcing her against a wall outside a bar and holding her by the throat (Pictured, Mr Cox during a special service for his wife at Trafalgar Square in June 2016)



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk