A United Nations chief has been suspended after the Mail revealed allegations he sexually harassed a woman.
Frank La Rue was relieved of his duties a day after the sex pest claims were reported.
His job was to travel the world championing press freedom, but the high-powered diplomat was less than keen to trumpet the news about himself being embroiled in an official inquiry into ‘MeToo’-style allegations.
Frank La Rue (pictured attending a news conference in Tegucigalpa August 14, 2012) was relieved of his duties a day after the sex pest claims were reported.
When he was asked about it by the Mail, he said: ‘I don’t want to say anything, thank you very much’ and hung up the phone.
Mr La Rue, 65, an Assistant Director-General of Unesco, the UN’s cultural arm, based in Paris, was formally suspended by the organisation’s Director-General Audrey Azoula.
A spokesman confirmed: ‘Frank La Rue has been relieved of his duties until further notice.
‘There is no further comment, other than to say that Unesco has specific procedures that provide, among other things, an internal investigation to handle complaints of harassment and reporting related to harassment cases.
‘Harassment in all its forms is a violation of human dignity. Unesco, as any other UN agency, has a policy of zero tolerance and takes the issue of harassment very seriously.’
Mr La Rue, 65, an Assistant Director-General of Unesco, the UN’s cultural arm, based in Paris, was formally suspended by the organisation’s Director-General
Mr La Rue’s publicly-funded job was to promote freedom of expression globally and organise World Press Freedom Day events. In speeches around the globe, he has staunchly defended press freedoms as ‘fundamental’ to democracy.
But neither he nor Unesco seemed very keen on press coverage of themselves over the sex pest allegations.
Married Mr La Rue faces claims of alleged sexual harassment against a woman which is said to have spanned several months in 2016 and 2017.
In November last year, she reported an incident to Unesco bosses which resulted in an inquiry being launched. She also suffered an emotional breakdown and was treated by a doctor, according to informed sources.
In diplomatic circles, it is being referred to as a ‘MeToo’ incident – a reference to the wave of sexual harassment allegations that followed the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
It is understood that Mr La Rue is entitled to diplomatic immunity, although there is no suggestion he has sought to use it.
Mr La Rue was investigated by Unesco’s internal oversight service (IOS).
Mr La Rue told the Mail he believed in ‘responsible reporting’. Asked if he denied sexual harassment, he ended the phonecall.
Before joining Unesco in 2016, Guatemala-born Mr La Rue was previously the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion of freedom of expression.