Unicef deputy quits after inappropriate behaviour claims

Justin Forsyth has resigned from his role as deputy executive director of Unicef in the wake of accusations of inappropriate behaviour towards female staff while chief executive of Save the Children.

Forsyth said he was not resigning because of the “mistakes” he made while at the charity, but because of attempts to damage aid organisations and humanitarian work.

It emerged this week that Forsyth was accused of sending inappropriate texts and making comments to female staff about their appearance while heading the charity in 2011 and 2015.

A statement from 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 [Henrietta] 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.”