Obtožbe spolnega izkoriščanja in nasilja nad ženskami s strani pripadnikov mirovnih operacij, že vrsto let mečejo slabo luč na celotno Organizacijo združenih narodov. Vsak primer zlorabe lokalnega prebivalstva zmanjšuje kredibilnost misije in hkrati ogroža njeno poslanstvo. Mednarodna skupnost je šele v zadnjih tridesetih letih začela posvečati več pozornosti vprašanju varstva žensk v oboroženih spopadih. Njihovo zaščito danes zagotavlja več mednarodnih pogodb s področja mednarodnega humanitarnega prava, prava človekovih pravic ter mednarodnega kazenskega prava. Pravice žensk so tako v teoriji dobro zaščitene, a v praksi premalo spoštovane. Preučitev mirovnih operacij v Kambodži, Demokratični Republiki Kongo ter na Haitiju kaže na to, da se je s prisotnostjo mirovnikov povečal oziroma ponekod celo ustvaril trg z belim blagom, dvignilo povpraševanje po prostituciji, zvišalo število spolnih napadov ter razširilo število okužb s spolno prenosljivimi boleznimi. Organizacija združenih narodov danes pospešeno išče rešitev problema. Kljub številnim sprejetim ukrepom (predvsem na področju varstva žensk pred spolnim izkoriščanjem in nasiljem), ni opaziti bistvenega zmanjšanja obtožb. Hkrati ostaja sistem pregona in kaznovanja pripadnikov mirovnih operacij še naprej zapleten, netransparenten in neučinkovit. Magistrsko diplomsko delo opozarja na konceptualne pomanjkljivosti obstoječe ureditve in preko analize javno dostopnih virov predlaga ukrepe, ki bi lahko pripomogli k rešitvi te sicer večplastne problematike.For many years, accusations of sexual exploitation and abuse of women by United Nations peacekeepers have cast a shadow on United Nations. Every case of abuse of the local population diminishes the credibility of the missions and undermines the principles that underpin their deployment. It is only in the last thirty years that the international community has begun to pay more attention to the protection of women in armed conflict. Women today enjoy protection under international humanitarian law, human rights law and international criminal law. At least in theory, their rights are being sufficiently protected. Peacekeeping operations in Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in Haiti are examples of how the very presence of peacekeepers can contribute to the spread of human trafficking activities, forced prostitution, sexual assaults and sexually transmited diseases. The United Nations is working to solve the problem. Despite many measures being taken (especially to protect women against sexual exploitation and violence), the number of allegations does not seem to subside. The process of establishing criminal liability of the accused remains complex, non-transparent, and inefficient. The master\u27s thesis draws attention to the conceptual shortcomings of the existing regulation and tries to offer potential solutions to the otherwise multifaceted problem
