Organizational Meeting - 37th Special Session of Human Rights Council

Excellence, distinguished colleagues, as per paragraph 124 of the annex to resolution 5/1, we will now begin open consultation on organization of the 37th emergency session of the Human Rights Council. Monday, 3 February evening, I received a request to convene an emergency meeting of the Council regarding the human rights situation in the east of the DRC. This request was submitted in line with the provisions of paragraph 121 of resolution 51. The request submitted by the PR of the DRC was supported by 27 Member States of the Council South Africa, Algeria, Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Burundi, Chile, Cyprus, Colombia, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Ghana, Marshall Islands, Iceland, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, North Macedonia, Malawi, Morocco, Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, the Dominican Republic, Romania, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. Therefore, it garnered the support of one third of members of the Council, meeting the necessary conditions to convene an emergency session in line with paragraph 10 of resolution 6251 of the General Assembly. Article 6 of the Human Rights Council Rules of Procedure. The request was also supported by 21 observer states to the Council, including Australia, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. To date, Albania, Mexico and Montenegro have also expressed their support for this special session. Any other delegations wishing to join the list of signatories can do so prior to the opening of the special session on February 7th. February at 10 a.m. The request to convene this special session was officially communicated by secretariat to all your member states on the 4th of February. Information was also placed at the disposal of the specialized institutions, other intergovernmental organizations, national human rights institutions, as well as NGOs with consult status. to ECOSOC in line with the Council's rules of procedure. I give the floor now to the distinguished representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo who submitted the request to convene a special session to deliver a statement. Excellency, you have the floor.

Mr. President.

President, on behalf of the President of the DRC, His Excellency Mr. Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshibangu, the Government and people of the DRC, as well as on behalf of all the victims of mass human rights violations in the province of North and South Kivu in the east of the DRC, as a result of the aggression by Rwanda and the M23 and the Flow of Congo Alliance. We want to thank you for convening this special session and all friendly countries, peace-loving friendly countries who have stated their support to this appeal from the DRC government. The high number of countries who have explicitly supported the initiative to date, you gave 27 countries, without almost actually at 30 and 22 observers at least, highlights the commitment and sensitiveness of your council to everything that concerns protection of human rights throughout the world. Sir, we have asked for this session to be convened for tomorrow, the 7th February 2025, so as to consider the alarming human rights situation in the province of North and South Kivu, which are in the grip of undescribable human rights violations following the aggression by Rwanda. The ongoing deterioration of the humanitarian situation and security situation in the region means that urgent attention should be given by the international community regarding its very adverse impact on the full enjoyment of human rights of the population. Reports by international organizations and by UN mechanisms point to grave systematic human rights violations taking place, including the case of abductions, massacres and atrocity summary executions of civilians against a backdrop of a discriminatory policy of ethnic cleansing, of persecution and of genocide for economic purposes. Over 3,000 people dead in the offensive on Goma alone. And many mass graves have been found. Violations and sexual widespread sexual violence used as a weapon of war has taken place in one day alone, 27th January 2025, about 200 women were raped by prisoners who were released under the blessing of the aggressors, the mass displacement of populations fleeing fighting in January 2025 alone, around 4,000 people were displaced by force. Attacks took place against humanitarian actors and civil infrastructure, including on hospitals, schools, and many other infrastructure. Even IDP camps were attacked by force. using weapons, the destruction, I think they are around Muzinze, where over 4,000 prisoners escaped, dangerous criminals escaped, and which allowed the aggressors to recruit a number of them for their own madness and to just leave to them, just to let thousands of others go free. There's been forced recruitment of child soldiers. We can be seen in the M23 training centers in Rutaru and elsewhere, destruction of the prosecutor's office and burning of courts and cemeteries have taken place as they hide the trace of their crimes. Attacks against UN personnel and humanitarian actors is also taking place and complete ongoing impunity that the perpetrators of those cries are enjoying currently. In that context, it's crucial for the Council, your Council, your Human Rights Council, to meet in special session to examine the situation, to hear witness statements from victims and from experts, and envisage appropriate measures to prevent further violations and guarantee accountability. To do this, we must, as the international community, in particular, as the Human Rights Council, play our part and comply with the mandate granted to us by the General Assembly to the Human Rights Council to ensure that human rights are respected everywhere around the world. We must not stay silent. We must not be in -- staying silent or being indifferent would be a dereliction of duty. Therefore, when it comes to the DRC, given the demand, the need to take urgent measures, a draft resolution has been submitted to the distinguished members of the Council in which we call on them chiefly as follows: one, call on OHCHR to establish urgently a fact-finding mission into the grave human rights violations and abuses and the grave violations of international humanitarian law committed in the provinces of North and South Kivu, with a very specific mandate and a comprehensive report to be submitted during the next session of the Human Rights Council, to combat impunity and prevent a repetition of such human rights violations and abuses, as well as violations of And the Council, to do this, must call on Rwanda to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC, to cease its aggression and to leave immediately the territory of the DRC and to end all support to M23. There have been over 4,000 Rwandan troops in DRC territory without invitation. Distinguished members of the Council, President, observers, that is the appeal of the DRC to you. We reiterate our appeal for profound solidarity that you have shown towards the Congolese people through massive support to the initiative to convene a special session, to condemn Rwanda's action and to call it to assume its responsibilities at the risk of sanction. Now, if there's a need for a vote by consensus on creating this fact-finding mission by and through the adoption of the resolution presented to that end. In conclusion, Walter Volker Turk, who has made three statements to condemn what's happening in the east of the country, in his statement of 24th January said as follows. The population of the DRC is exhausted of violence, it's tired of conflict, it is tired of the horrors they see in their everyday lives, and these must not get any worse. Sir, I thank you very much for your attention.

Thank you for that statement. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, delegations wishing to take the floor during this 37th special session of the Council can be inscribed in the list of speakers via the online inscription system that was opened yesterday, 5 February, 2 p.m., and accessible until today, Thursday, 6 February, 2025, until 6 p.m. As in previous special sessions, council members will take the floor first, followed by observer states and other observers. The list will be organised in chronological order in terms of inscription, and two minutes and 30 seconds will be the time limit for council members, and one minute and 30 seconds for observers. I very much ask the East speaker to respect the allotted time limits. We will begin this session with a statement from Mr. Volker Turk, High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary General in the DRC and Head of the UN Mission for Stabilization in the DRC, and Suri Addeva, Chairman of the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures by video. There may be other speakers also. I will now give the floor to delegations for any general comments or any questions they may have regarding the special session. I saw that the delegation of Rwanda has asked for the floor. I give the floor to the distinguished delegate of Rwanda. You have the floor.

Thank you, President. The request for the floor doesn't concern procedure. I'll be very brief. It is merely to say that the statement made by the PR of the DRC on what he calls Rwanda's aggression It's not the first time this debate has taken place in this Council. Rwanda has always said that it will defend its security using all resources available. We reiterate here the security measures that have been taken to prevent the situation doesn't overflow and does not lead to major damage being done to our country. And this has been seen towards the end of this last month. And we are in a procedural session ahead of the special session. I reserve the right, every right, to return with all the necessary details to clarify the situation that the PR of DRC qualifies as an aggression. Thank you.

Thank you. Are there any other requests for the floor? I remind you, dear colleagues, that this is an organizational meeting. The special meeting is for tomorrow. I see no further requests for the floor. Distinguished colleagues, we come to the end of this briefing on the conduct and organisation of the 37th special session of the Council. Therefore, this meeting is adjourned.