Sudan: Ensuring a credible response by the UN Human Rights Council at its 42nd session
Published: 5 Sep 2019
Ahead of the 42nd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, 17 civil society organisations have urged the Council to take action to address serious human rights violations and abuses that have been and continue to be committed in Sudan, and to support systemic reforms in the country.
Noting that the Council has not maximally utilised opportunities to contribute to the formulation of a meaningful international response to the Sudanese crisis since December 2018, the civil society document written 02 September 2019 and addressed to the Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the UN HRC states, in part:
“Silence is no longer an option. The transitional agreement is no guarantee of improved respect for human rights. As the UN’s top human rights body, the Council should fulfill its responsibilities towards the Sudanese people and contribute to ensuring that human rights compliance and systemic reforms are central parts of a sustainable political solution to the crisis and that peaceful transitional arrangements are respected, in line with its mandate to promote and protect human rights.”
Civil society in their letter demands that, at its 42nd session, the Council should:
(1) Establish an independent investigation, in the form of a fact-finding mission or similar, into all human rights violations and abuses, including sexual and gender-based violence, committed in the context of peaceful protests since December 2018; and
(2) Renew and strengthen the mandate of the independent expert (IE) and ensure robust monitoring and public reporting mandate for the OHCHR throughout 2020 and beyond.
Read the full letter here as appended to by the 17 organisations, and with details of major human rights developments in Sudan since December 2018 annexed.