UN officer involved in India sexual harassment scandal

23 febbraio 2015

1 min di lettura

(AGI) New Delhi, Feb 23 - The shadow of a sex scandal mightjeopardise efforts to reach an agreement on climate change, inthe run-up to the Paris world summit in December. The74-year-old president of the United Nations IntergovernmentalCommittee on Climate Change (IPCC), Rajendra Pachauri, did notattend a meeting in Kenya after being accused of sexuallyharassing a 29-year-old researcher on the New Delhi think tankrun by the scientist. Mr Pachauri, who is director general ofthe Energy and Research institute, allegedly sent unwantedemails, text and Whattsap messages to the young woman. At themoment, judges have not decided to arrest the president of theIPCC, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, thus ensuringimmunity at least until the next hearing, scheduled forThursday. Pachauri rejected the allegations by saying that hehad been hacked in an attempt to discredit him. Mr Pachauri wasappointed president of the UN committee in 2002 and wassubsequently confirmed in the post in 2008 for a second mandatethat ends in October this year. He is now at risk of having hisimage severely damaged and might lose his appointment. TheIndian organisers of a conference to be held in Harvard havealready cancelled the invitation they had sent him. The IPCCprovides guidelines on the protection against climate change toits 194 members. In a recent report, it warned of a 'severe,widespread and irreversible impact' on man and nature unlesscarbon dioxide emissions are drastically reduced. . .