A federal judge in New York has dismissed a claim of sexual misconduct against former Dutch prime minister Ruud Lubbers.

The case dates from charges made while Lubbers was the UN’s high commissioner for refugees and led to him resigning.
The judge said Lubber’s immunity from prosecution as a UN employee outweighed the claims.
The courts have ‘consistently held that employment-related issues lie at the core of an international organization’s immunity,’ news agency AP quoted the judge Robert Sweet as saying.
The complainant, Cynthia Brzak, is to appeal.
A UN internal report in 2004 found that Lubbers did engage in unwanted physical contact with Brzak and said there were indications of a ‘pattern of sexual harassment’ by Lubbers. Lubbers resigned in February 2005.