Third Committee, 32nd plenary meeting - General Assembly, 80th session

The 32nd meeting of the Third Committee at the 80th session of the General Assembly is called to order. I now invite the committee to resume its consideration on agenda item 71, entitled Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, and its sub-item A to D. I would like to welcome a member of the Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan, Mr. Barney Afako. Participants wishing to make comments and pose questions to the speaker are invited to press the microphone button within the next three minutes, after which the list will be closed. The time limit for each speaker will be announced before the floor is given to the first speaker. I thank you for your cooperation. I now invite the member of the Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan to make an introductory statement. AFACO, you have the floor. Sorry.

Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished representatives and delegates, on behalf of the chairperson of our commission, Ms. Yasmin Suka, and my colleague, Mr. Carlos Castresana, who is here, I'm honored to present to this committee. We are deeply disappointed to have to report that the political transition in South Sudan is falling apart. and the country is sliding back into deadly violence and new political fractures. When we briefed the Human Rights Council in February, we described widespread gross human rights violations and a dramatic upsurge in armed violence. We described entrenched impunity, predation, and corruption. We've identified these as key drivers of human rights violations, political conflict, and community violence in South Sudan. The results are profoundly destructive for the country and its people. For South Sudanese, women and girls in particular, conflict brings extreme forms of sexual brutality, which compounds their already acute societal marginalization. Corruption in South Sudan is both pervasive and extreme. Since its independence 14 years ago, South Sudan has received over $25 billion from oil. Yet desperate citizens are asking themselves what happened to this money. In fact, most of it has been systematically diverted or mismanaged, as we describe in our report of 16 September 2025. In such a wealthy country, visible and disturbing signs of poverty and neglect are everywhere, especially in the countryside, where basic services, hospitals, schools, courtrooms are either absent or in a woeful state. Roads are paid for, but not delivered. Agriculture is neglected, even as acute hunger stalks South Sudan's children. Corruption is killing South Sudanese. South Sudan's children are hungry and out of school. Instead of carrying textbooks, many are being forced to carry guns. The future is being stolen from them, even as they are violated. Their leaders are not only predatory, but they are also extremely repressive. In 2024, despite widespread concerns, the government forced through legislation that retains extensive arrest powers for the National Security Service, that's the intelligence service, and those powers are being abused. In an escalation of political intolerance, the government has arbitrarily detained and put on trial key opposition leaders and peace partners in complete disregard of the transitional agreement in which citizens, the region, and the international community have invested so much hope. As we speak today, fierce clashes have broken out across several states in the country. We are seeing aerial bombardments in civilian areas. The ceasefire, which was renewed in 2017, is being ignored and breached. While the Joint International Commission monitoring the peace agreement continues to urge restraint and support its calls are falling on deaf ears. Uganda has deployed its forces in South Sudan to fight alongside the government, but the presence of foreign forces encourages political intransigence and complicates the situation in that country. Uganda must therefore use its influence to ensure that the peace agreement, of which it is a key guarantor, is implemented and not undermined. South Sudan's leaders have consistently failed to invest in inclusive politics. In 2016, they attempted to reverse the 2015 peace agreement. More recently, they have undermined Kenya's initiative of the Tumaini, which sought to bring together groups outside the peace agreement into the pact. Since February, the Tumaini has not convened as a result of this. The consequence of this political mismanagement can be seen in increased violence, human rights violations, and humanitarian crisis. This year alone, over 370,000 civilians have been displaced. Almost half have fled to neighboring countries, which now host 2.5 million South Sudanese refugees. Another 2 million people are displaced internally, alongside some 600,000 refugees, mainly from Sudan. And impunity drives these conflicts, and the corruption and political intolerance. Ten years ago, the African Union proposed, and the South Sudanese endorsed in their agreement, a hybrid court to deliver justice and restore dignity to victims of violations. While the government has introduced legislation for the Truth Commission and Reparation Authority, the African Union is struggling to secure the government's cooperation for establishing the hybrid court. Yet, this African court is essential for breaking cycles of violence, for upholding international law, and for the protection of citizens. In line with the AU's transitional justice policy, therefore, we believe that for South Sudan to prosper, it needs transformative transitional justice that addresses the past while investing in a future built on solid foundations of the rule of law. By now, this country should have completed a permanent constitution. By now, they should have held elections and commenced transitional justice processes. Instead, its cynical leaders are averse to any form of accountability. They are undermining the revitalized agreement, they are fomenting violence and fracturing the country, they are endangering a volatile region while devastating lives. We therefore urge this Assembly to come to the aid of South Sudan, to insist on inclusive dialogue and the restoration of a credible transition. This Assembly should support initiatives of the African Union, IGAD, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and others, which seek to prevent South Sudan from tipping over the precipice. The world must not allow intransigent leaders to destroy the youngest of our countries before our eyes. No, the very long-suffering of the South Sudanese must be ended, and they are looking to this Assembly for clear support in that regard. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the member of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan. I will now open the floor for any questions or comments to Mr. Afakou. As per past practice, I will ask the delegation to limit their comment to three minutes. I thank you for your kind cooperation. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uganda, followed by the representative of European Union and Switzerland. Uganda, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President. As a neighbor and one of the guarantors of the revitalized agreement, we remain keenly interested in the situation in South Sudan. We continue to commend the efforts by South Sudan to promote and respect human rights. Peace and stability, national reconciliation, and human rights are intrinsically linked. We welcome the fact that there is this discussion going on in South Sudan. As this body demands for elections, we should also be mindful of the environment in which this will be held. Elections are not a mere ceremony and a tick off. We call on the international community to continue to support the work of the government of South Sudan and the region for sustainable peace, security, and development of the country. Uganda remains committed to play its part bilaterally and through regional frameworks like the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Uganda. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of European Union.

Thank you, Chair. The European Union thanks the Commission for its valuable work for the people in South Sudan and for its most recent report. We appreciate South Sudan's continued cooperation with the Commission. However, we also share the disappointment of many South Sudanese that the transitional period was prolonged again in 2024 and that since the beginning of this year, the parties to the peace agreement are violating the ceasefire and the agreement itself. The armed clashes and aerial bombings that we are witnessing in many parts of the country result in illegal recruiting, including of child soldiers, fragmentation of forces, widespread human rights abuses and violations, atrocities, and possibly war crimes, such as the bombing of hospitals. In this context, the monitoring of, reporting on, and collecting of evidence regarding alleged violations and abuses of human rights remain essential. Living conditions have not improved but worsened, in particular food security. 83,000 people face the immediate threat of starvation and two-thirds of the country population being acutely food insecure. We remain highly concerned by the persistent violence and widespread impunity, your last report point out, as well as further limitations on civic space. Rampant corruption directly affects very basis of existence for people in South Sudan and violates their social and economic rights. In this context, we welcome your last report entitled Plundering a Nation, How Rampant Corruption Unleashed the Human Rights Crisis in South Sudan. We strongly call on the authorities to take into account the findings of the report and focus on improving public financial management so that the government can deliver sustainable development and food security for its own people. Transitional justice is essential to ensure lasting peace. We welcome progress in setting up the Truth Commission and call on South Sudan to establish the hybrid court as per the revitalized agreement and to implement the recommendations of the Independent Judicial Committee. Mr. Afako, how can we help secure that oil and other state revenues contribute to improving the human rights of people in South Sudan? I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the European Union. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Switzerland, followed by Norway and United Kingdom.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Switzerland thanks the Commission for its report, and we have the following question. Your report on the link between widespread corruption and human rights violations emphasizes that essential ministries, such as those related to health, education, and food security, have received only a fraction of the budgets allocated to them. In light of South Sudan's obligations under international human rights law, what tangible actions do you believe the national authorities and the international partners should implement in order to strengthen the follow-up and the transparency of public spending? And how can the transitional justice mechanisms you mentioned be mobilized to address rampant corruption while guaranteeing both accountability and deterrence? Beyond that, the climate of violence that is prevailing in the country, as well as the persistent violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, continue to trouble Switzerland. The number of documented victims is up by 59 percent compared to the same period last year. That fact shows an alarming rise. Switzerland calls upon all armed forces and all non-state armed groups to prevent and end violations and infringements of human rights and persistent violations of international humanitarian law. We further call upon the authorities to bring perpetrators to justice in the context of a comprehensive approach to accountability. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Switzerland and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Norway.

Chair, I thank the Human Rights Commission for its honest update. Commissioner, I would like to start with a question. What, in your opinion, can the international community do to best support anti-corruption measures in South Sudan? Chair, human rights violations in South Sudan, already severe, have grown even worse. As described in detail by the Human Rights Commission, unchecked systemic corruption and diversion of public resources by the transitional government is depriving millions of people of their most basic rights. Political instability has led to increased fighting, and the civilian population suffer the most. A weak judicial system and a lack of political will prevent perpetrators from being held accountable. Impunity fuels violence and human rights violations. A new approach is urgently needed. Humanitarian access must be guaranteed and humanitarian workers protected so that aid can reach those in need. Transparency and accountability in financial affairs are essential to rebuilding trust and strengthening institutions. Any judicial proceedings must be fair and transparent, with full respect for the rule of law and human rights. The people of South Sudan have showed remarkable resilience, and it is now the responsibility of their leaders to show the same courage, to return to dialogue and the peace agreement, and to deliver peace, justice, and opportunity for their people. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ireland. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom, followed by Ireland and China. Sorry, Norway.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We thank the Commission for its update and for the vital role that it plays in documenting abuses and promoting accountability. The deteriorating political and security situation in South Sudan is deeply concerning. The commission's report in February lays bare how the political leadership's mismanagement of the political transition has fuelled conflict, leading to widespread human rights abuses and violations, including conflict-related sexual violence. The Government has carried out arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial killings against its opponents. We also note the findings in the commission's latest report on economic crimes and illicit financial flows, which have impeded South Sudan's ability to meet its obligations under international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which South Sudan acceded in February 2024. The United Kingdom urges South Sudan's leadership to de-escalate tensions, uphold human rights and recommit to an inclusive and credible political dialogue. We urge all parties to engage constructively with transitional justice processes and to ensure accountability for serious abuses and violations. Commissioner, what more can the international community do to ensure that South Sudan's leadership prioritises human rights, ends impunity and recommits to transitional justice and inclusive governance? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of United Kingdom. And I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ireland.

Thank you, Chair. Ireland aligns itself with the statement of the EU and thanks the Chair of the Commission for your report. As you have documented, the South Sudanese government has neglected to provide for the most basic economic and social needs of its citizens, failing to meet its obligations under the International Covenant of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Women and children are disproportionately affected by the extreme fragility brought on by systemic corruption. Ireland welcomes the Commission's clear recommendations. We call on the South Sudanese government to urgently combat corruption and financial mismanagement, in particular with regard to oil revenues, and to pursue policies which address and reduce vulnerability and support inclusive and rights-based development. The signatories of the peace agreement must recommit to its terms and ensure that there is no further escalation of conflict. Such changes are crucial if South Sudan is to avoid protracted conflict and crisis. I would like to ask the Chair what practical steps can the international community take to ensure that anti-corruption and human rights norms are placed at the center of engagements. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ireland and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of China, followed by Slovenia and Sovereign Order of Malta. China, you have the floor.

Madame Chair, China has taken note of the report by its Human Rights Commission. welcomes South Sudan's efforts to implement the revitalized peace agreement and better promote and protect human rights, including through constructive cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms such as the OHCHR, accession to the core human rights conventions, and adoption of concrete measures to combat illegal acts and crimes against the rights of specific groups such as women. China has consistently advocated for constructive dialogue on human rights issues and opposes the politicization of such matters. We commend the South Sudanese Government's efforts in promoting and protecting human rights, and call upon the international community to fully understand and respect the country's specific circumstances, honor its sovereignty and ownership, and provide necessary assistance in accordance with the needs of its government and people. The international community should demonstrate sufficient inclusiveness and patience in the political transition, support the South Sudanese government in better fulfilling its primary responsibility for maintaining peace and protecting civilians, and increase humanitarian assistance. China has actively participated in the UN peacekeeping operations and has provided multiple batches of food and medical supplies to South Sudan, assisted in infrastructure construction, conducted capacity building training, and remains committed to contributing to South Sudan's peaceful development. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of China and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Slovenia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Slovenia aligns also with the statement delivered on behalf of the EU. We also thank the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan for its work and reporting. And I can assure you, you can continue to count on our support. We remain concerned by the findings presented today that weak governance, limited transparency in public revenue management, including in the oil sector, and insufficient oversight continue to undermine service delivery and public trust. Strengthening economic governance, accountability, and transparent use of national resources is essential for peace and stability. We are deeply concerned about the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in the country. With a large majority of the population in need of assistance, including over half of the population facing acute food insecurity, we call on all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians and guarantee safe and unhindered humanitarian access. We continue to call on all parties in South Sudan to de-escalate and to renew genuine commitment to implementing the revitalized peace agreement and to ensure an inclusive, credible and peaceful electoral process in 2026. We urge concrete steps to address sexual and gender-based violence and to strengthen national oversight institutions that can uphold the rule of law and accountability. We also commend the valuable work of UNMIS, and we reaffirm Slovenia's strong support for its mandate. Mr. Rafako, we have two questions today. The Commission notes continued weakness in public financial management and the diversion of resources from essential services. How do you assess the prospect of improving transparency and accountability in revenue management to ensure that national resources are directed towards health, education, and other social needs? The report also notes that limited institutional oversight continues to hinder accountability. How does the Commission view the most effective avenues for strengthening national accountability systems and ensuring the independence and effectiveness of oversight and anti-corruption bodies? I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Slovenia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The human rights situation in South Sudan is a major concern for the Sovereign Order of Malta. Decades of conflict and political instability have left the population in an extremely precarious state, with widespread displacement, extreme food insecurity, and a severe lack of basic services. We are deeply concerned by the socio-political situation in South Sudan. The peace process continues to face major difficulties, as intra-ethnic conflicts, often exacerbated by climate change, compound the humanitarian crisis, recent floods, and the ongoing conflict in neighboring Sudan. We call on the international community to show urgent solidarity and urge all countries' leaders to put the well-being of their people at the heart of the political agenda. It is our hope that ongoing dialogue initiatives will lead to lasting peaceful coexistence and the consolidation of democracy. The Order of Malta, through its humanitarian relief agency, Malteser International, has been present in South Sudan since 1996, working tirelessly to provide vital aid in a complex and often dangerous environment. Our focus is on alleviating suffering and creating the conditions necessary for communities to build their lives in dignity. In Yei River County, a region devastated by war, we recently opened a new health facility offering maternal and child health care, vaccinations, and treatment for communicable diseases. Our teams also manage neonatal isolation and therapy units at the local public hospital in Yei, ensuring care for the most vulnerable newborns. As 70% of the South Sudanese population, around 9.3 million, still relies on humanitarian aid, We are committed to reducing this dependency by strengthening local capacity. Our WASH programs have constructed boreholes and latrines to provide clean water and prevent cholera. We also work with local communities on agricultural training, distributing seeds and tools to promote food security and sustainable livelihoods. We support primary education on the outskirts of Juba, where children receive the only hot meal they may have all day, and empower women through cooperatives managing small bakeries. Our approach prioritizes collaboration with local leaders to ensure sustainability and ownership, fostering long-term resilience. The Order of Malta remains deeply committed to the people of South Sudan and calls for the sustained international attention to help them on their path to peace and stability. In closing, our question is, Considering the compounding vulnerabilities faced by the displaced persons, what strategies can organizations like ours adopt to ensure that our aid not only provides immediate relief, but also lays the foundation for self-reliance, dignity, and their successful integration into host communities? I thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta. And now I give the floor back to the member of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, Mr. Barney Afako.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Many of the delegates have asked about the political process in South Sudan. We say that South Sudan, with assistance of the region, regional countries, IGAD, the African Union, needs to get back to a dialogue to restore the peace agreement. All of the peace agreements in South Sudan have come about with the support of the region and have been guaranteed also by the international community. But at the moment, the region is struggling to get the leaders of South Sudan to come back to a track of dialogue and political accommodation. We think that the role of neighboring countries like Uganda is particularly important and we urge them to exert all the influence that they have to ensure that the peace agreement is respected. The peace agreement is important because it has all the pillars for a transition. It provides for state building, it provides for the construction of institutions, as well as nation building agendas. It provides for transitional justice and the making of a new constitution. South Sudan has never had a constitution since independence. All of these processes are now in jeopardy because of the latest political developments. And unless the region reinforces its initiatives and engages the political leaders, then we will continue to see a sliding away from those commitments to build the rule of law, to deal with the past, and to construct a prosperous country. In terms of corruption, it is important to support the processes of accountability internally, within the region, and at the international level. Internally, the peace agreement also provides for effective oversight and management of resources and the finances of South Sudan. But we are seeing that these provisions are being systematically ignored. And as they're being ignored, without a functioning judicial system, there is no possibility of the recourse to justice. At the moment, we have almost total impunity, not only for civil and political violations, but also for the corruption and economic crimes and mismanagement. The region can do a lot more. A lot of South Sudan's resources end up in the neighboring countries. They end up in Kenya. They end up in Uganda. And in our work, we have engaged with the government and leaders in Kenya, urging them to strengthen their own internal mechanisms for dealing with illicit financial flows. And we need to see this across the region. Some of those resources go farther afield, including into the Gulf. And there too, these resources need to be tracked and accountability initiatives opened there as well. South Sudanese invest this money abroad, internationally. It's important to ensure that whenever states come across resources emanating from South Sudan, they look into the provenance of those resources. and take steps as some of the countries have already been doing. Corruption is serious because its effects are profoundly negative for the people of South Sudan. Indeed, the deprivation of health services for children, for women, means that their outcomes are some of the worst on the continent. Many die because they can't get the assistance they need. South Sudanese children, particularly girls, are not able to access education because that sector is being deprived of resources. So strengthening the mechanisms in the country, strengthening the rule of law, strengthening the response of the region and internationally, all of these are indispensable. Transitional justice is going to be key to address the impunity that we are seeing in South Sudan. We've been urging the African Union to take the steps to establish a hybrid court because that is its responsibility. Although South Sudan has now introduced legislation for the Truth Commission and Reparation Authority, we need to see that these institutions are credible, that their leaders, that the commissioners who are appointed can do their work. But they cannot do this if there is no political space, if civic space, and their ability to work and their possibility for victims to engage openly and even critically of the government. If that is not guaranteed, then truth commission and reparation authority will not achieve its potential. Alongside the truth commission, we need criminal justice. The report of the experts, judges from the region, on strengthening the criminal justice system is important and needs to be implemented. The hybrid court should also extend through its legacy support for the building of a criminal justice system that responds effectively to the violations that we are seeing. Without citizens and victims seeing that perpetrators are brought to book effectively and are sentenced when convicted, then citizens will lose confidence in the system of justice. Sudan's conflict is affecting South Sudan, and it's important that South Sudan is protected from the impacts of that conflict. We are already seeing not only on terms of humanitarian impacts, but also increasingly that South Sudanese are becoming involved in the conflict in Sudan. It's therefore important that there is a political process that safeguards the transition in South Sudan, even as the challenges in Sudan are being addressed. Such a process must be inclusive to ensure that nobody is left outside of the agreement. Many actors, particularly in the equatorians, are outside of the peace agreement and need to be brought on board through an inclusive political process that is underwritten by the region. So South Sudan indeed is in need of urgent solidarity of the international community. This is not the time to abandon South Sudan. Despite the length and the delays in the transition, it is crucial that the international community stands with the people of South Sudan and insists that its leaders do the right thing by reaching agreements that they will honor and that will deliver a transition that brings South Sudan to a new dispensation of accountability and democracy. So we urge this Assembly to support the efforts of the African Union and IGAD in this regard. I thank you.

I thank the member of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan. I next welcome the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi, Mr. Fortunate Gaitan Zongo. Participants wishing to make comments and pose questions to the speakers are invited to press their microphone button within the next three minutes, after which the list will be closed. The time limit for each speaker will be announced before the floor is given to the first speaker. I thank you for your cooperation. I now invite the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi to make an introductory statement. Mr. Zongo, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam. Madam, Excellencies, representatives, after my appearance before the Human Rights Council in September 2025, I come before you this afternoon in line with the resolution that set my mandate up. A year into that mandate, the findings are contained in my report. I am pleased to recall here that on 6 October 2025, this mandate was renewed by the Human Rights Council with 23 votes in favour, 9 votes against and 15 abstentions. The renewal of the mandate in this way clearly shows that Burundi is still a focus of concern for the Member States. I remain convinced, as does the international community, that the human rights situation can materially improve, despite the lack of political will. Burundi is undergoing a period of change. Diplomatic relations are being resumed and the country is aspiring to consolidate peace and attract new investment. But this set of circumstances is still subject to instability because it is based on a still vulnerable institutional and legal framework in which basic rights are not effectively protected. A number of major concerns can be identified. Firstly, during the legislative and municipal elections in June 2025, a number of sources agreed that serious infringements of civil and political rights took place. The electoral process was held in line with the constitutional schedule, but in a climate that was marked by restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly, intimidation of opponents, arbitrary arrests of members of the military and independent observers. Cases of political violence, particularly in certain rural provinces, were also reported and these affected a number of citizens participation in the elections and limited democratic expression. Furthermore, the lack of an electoral body that's perceived as independent, the lack of fair access to the media and the instrumentalization of legal institutions have fueled distrust on the part of the public in the declared results. These events demonstrate some concerning backward steps in terms of electoral safeguards and call for deep-seated reform to restore trust in the democratic process and prevent new tensions as future deadlines approach. Secondly, civil and political rights continue to be affected, human rights. Advocates, journalists and civil society organizations are under constant pressure. Restrictions on freedom of assembly and arbitrary arrests are widely reported. The case of Sandra Muhosa, a young defender of freedom of expression, sentenced to several years of imprisonment on the basis of her opinions, show this worrying trend clearly. Her case demonstrates the fate that has befallen many independent voices and underscores the urgent need to ensure that legal mechanisms are truly independent and that people can freely express their opinions. Thirdly, land theft remains a deep source of social and political tension. family continued, families continued to see their land expropriated without transparent or fair process. These practices, which are often linked to economic projects or politically related decisions, fuel ill will among communities and undermine reconciliation efforts. They reveal the lack of a legal framework to deal with land related cases and protect the rights of women, repatriated persons and displaced persons. In Burundi, land is not just an economic resource, it's a symbol of identity, memory and justice, and managing it badly could be a source of recurrent conflict. Fourthly, the transitional justice process has not yet yielded the results that we hoped. Despite many years of work, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has not enabled a climate of truth or national trust to be established. The lack of pluralism on the commission, the politicisation of its work, and the lack of safeguards for witnesses' protection undermine its credibility. Furthermore, Structural weaknesses on the part of the National Committee for Human Rights and the Ombudsman constrain their ability to act as truly independent institutions that are also impartial and effective. Their excessive alignment with the executive branch weaken the protection of human rights and erodes citizens confidence in them. Ladies and gentlemen, these findings seek not to condemn or to pour scorn on Burundi, but to sound the alarm and encourage change. Burundi has human, cultural and social resources that it needs to overcome these difficulties. But to achieve that, it needs to make a resolute commitment to putting human rights at the heart of national development. I remain convinced that candid and open cooperation with the United Nations and regional partners is possible. I reiterate my call to the Government of Burundi to grant access to this mandate so that direct and constructive conversations can be had in a spirit of partnership. I applaud the efforts of Burundian civil society, particularly women and young people, who often take major personal risks to strive for peace, justice and social cohesion. I call on this Assembly, through the international community, to support the Burundian people in its aspiration to live in a state that respects the rule of law, ensures human dignity and looks to the future. Like every Member State, Burundi deserves to find its place in an international community that is based on trust and mutual respect. I invite the international community to pursue its commitment to Burundi, to support civil society stakeholders and to encourage the government to open up a civic and democratic space once again, because these are key to stability and sustainable development. The future of Burundi depends on our ability to ensure that trust be found between the state and its citizens. strong institutions, and credible ones, and a sincere partnership with the international community. Thank you very much.

I thank the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi. I will now open the floor for questions or comments to Mr. Nzongo. As per past practice, I will ask the delegation to limit their comments to two minutes. I thank you for the kind cooperation. I'll now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Burundi, to be followed by the representative of Belarus and Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Burundi, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, my delegation would like to preface its remarks by reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations as well as our commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights in all their dimensions. Burundi is and remains steadfast in its commitment to the path of strengthening peace, justice, and national reconciliation, which are the foundations of stability and sustainable development of our country. Nevertheless, my delegation expresses its very strong regret about the document under consideration. This document fails to reflect the reality on the ground, nor does it reflect the considerable gains made in recent years. In the presentation that you just now made, I don't see at all anything that resembles my country, what you were talking about. It could be a different country. that the authors know very well. He also mentioned the renewal of the mandate. That's the mandate of the Special Rapporteur. And here, I'd like to say the following, that this is a renewal that was adopted by one sole region. That's for one reason, that's the same reason that you can see that the majority of Member States of the Council did not speak in favor of this renewal, if you look at the votes against it and the abstentions. Madam Chair, this document that's under consideration today is largely based on non-verified sources. They are partisan in nature. and the document passes over in silence all of the visible efforts of the government of Burundi to promote human rights, democratic governance, and the rule of law. My delegation wishes to forcefully recall that the promotion of human rights needs to be guided by the principles of impartiality, objectivity, and non-politicization. In no case should it be used for stigmatization or to serve geopolitical agendas which run counter to the spirit of cooperation of the United Nations. We condemn in the strongest terms the growing trend to co-opt human rights mechanisms in order to tarnish the images of certain states, to criticize legitimate governments, or to justify interference in their domestic affairs. Such reports, instead of encouraging constructive cooperation, too often become tools for political pressure, tools used to impose foreign agendas to the detriment of sincere dialogue and mutual respect. Madam Chair, allow me to make some precise observations about the document under review. First, the document openly, I say openly, criticizes the African Commission of Human Rights and Peoples for a supposed lack of inclusivity and candidness while this institution carried out a mission on the ground from the 18th to the 21st of March 2024 and carried out a candid, I wish to emphasize candid, dialogue and truthful dialogue with the Burundian authorities. This mission was chaired by Commissioner Remy Ngoy Lumbum, and it hailed the achievements made in terms of hosting refugees and youth empowerment programs. The attacks against this commission shows a condescending stance and a biased vision, which doesn't respect African mechanisms and doesn't know anything about the local realities. Secondly, the document is based on prejudiced sources which were carefully selected among the radical armed opposition in exile. In so doing, it deliberately ignored the reforms emanating from the national authorities, the judiciary, and the human rights defense mechanisms present on the ground. This guided approach is aiming less to present an objective and balanced evaluation of the human rights situations in Burundi, and it's more about bolstering A critical pre-established narrative. It is a caricature and it politicizes the judiciary, the institution of the Ombudsman and the National Independent Human Rights Commission and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission too. Thirdly, the document adopts a tone that is almost reminiscent of the radical opposition with regard to the government of Burundi. This seriously undermines its credibility for any neutral observer. That stance gives rise to a legitimate question. Was this document really drawn up by UN experts, or was it influenced by stakeholders from the radical armed opposition, the opposition that has been in exile since the failed coup d'etat in May of 2015? Fourthly, turning to democratic representation, my delegation wishes to recall some objective facts. Elections, parliamentary, senatorial, municipal and local elections of 2025 were held transparently, in peace and in calm, and in a climate of strong participation by our citizens. These elections were organized in stringent conformity with the Constitution of Burundi and with the national electoral schedule. They show the political maturity of the people of Burundi and their desire to craft a future in stability. All of the social strata of the population were very well represented in all of the institutions thus safeguarding inclusive and balanced governance. I want to emphasize that, inclusive and balanced. Any credible evaluation should rely on the reports of independent observers and official data that's available instead of relying on baseless assertions. To conclude, Madam Chair, my delegation flatly rejects flatly rejects the document under consideration, which we consider to be biased, baseless, and stripped of any objective basis. Such a document can't contribute to the promotion of human rights. It fuels distrust and impedes constructive dialogue, which our country has always prioritized. Nonetheless, Burundi remains open to cooperation in the context of the Universal Periodic Review. the UPR, which remains the most balanced and inclusive mechanism to promote human rights. And finally, Burundi reaffirms its commitment to national sovereignty, to non-interference into the domestic affairs of states, and to the principle of sovereign equality encapsulated in the United Nations Charter. We strongly believe that the promotion of human rights needs to be rooted in cooperation, mutual respect, and truth, and not in stigmatization, prejudices or double standards. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Burundi. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Belarus, followed by the representative of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Uganda.

Chair, distinguished colleagues, Belarus wishes to reaffirm its principled stance, namely, we don't accept country-based approaches in the work of the UN. This also includes the activities of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi. We completely reject the instrumentalization of human rights to justify intervention into the domestic affairs of sovereign states. Such approaches have nothing in common with the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity, and nonselectivity, which undergird the entire human rights system. We're currently in a liquidity crisis, and we're combining mandates of special rapporteurs in all sorts of areas. So, wasting millions of dollars to maintain a glut of such mechanisms should be viewed as intolerable. We have consistently advocated for the fact that the chief mechanism for considering human rights issues in absolutely all countries is the Universal Periodic Review and the Human Rights Council, which allows for an objective assessment of progress achieved in this area. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Belarus and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Thank you very much. Venezuela has the honor of taking the floor on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations. The presentation of country-specific resolutions without the consent of the state concerned goes against the principles of impartiality, objectivity, transparency, non-selectivity and non-politicization, as well as non-confrontation, but also against the very spirit of the Charter of the United Nations. We express our firm concern, serious concern at the continued and growing proliferation of mechanisms and procedures that claim to make impartial or allegedly impartial assessments of the human rights situation in certain states, lacking due consent of the state in question, but also basing those reports on secondary, tertiary or other sources that may be partial or lack credibility. This ends up turning such documents into mere propaganda pamphlets while granting them a purported legitimacy simply because of the fact that they are issued by bodies of this organisation. We strongly condemn the failure of these mechanisms to acknowledge member states' human rights efforts, basing judgements on shortcomings while disregarding externally imposed challenges and major impediments. such as those resulting from the illegal application of unilateral coercive measures. We cannot overemphasize the importance of avoiding the name of our organization and its spirit being misused to advance the political agendas of certain states in clear disregard for the purposes and principles enshrined in our Charter. The rest of our statement will be published in the journal. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uganda, followed by Nicaragua and Cuba.

Madam President, my Government continues to take keen interest in the situation in Burundi as one of the close neighbors. We commend the Government of Burundi for the progress they continue to register in governance and human rights for our people. The election of Burundi to international bodies like the Economic and Social Council and the Human Rights Council is a testament to this. In the last four years, over 13,000 refugees have voluntarily repatriated from Uganda to Burundi. This speaks volumes of the situation in Burundi. And whereas the report of the Special Rapporteur calls upon refugee-hosting countries to treat refugees with dignity, in the same spirit, we call upon the international community to contribute to durable solutions of resettlement and reintegration of Burundian refugees in the spirit of burden and responsibility sharing. We regret that this committee continues to consider this agenda item without consensus and cooperation from the respective country, in this case Burundi. If we may ask, what has this achieved since the creation of this mandate, amidst consistent objection and non-recognition by the government of Burundi? And for how long do we intend to continue to do so? We implore the Human Rights Council to prioritize dialogue and engagement. We should refrain from imposing decisions and resolutions for implementation without the support of the concerned country because they are rendered unimplemented about null and void. Finally, we request the UN human rights machinery to provide the necessary technical support and capacity building to Burundi as and when requested by them to support efforts for their promotion and protection of human rights in the country. We stand with our brothers and sisters of Burundi in their pursuit for protection and promotion of human rights. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Uganda and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Nicaragua.

Thank you, Chair. Chair, Nicaragua echoes what was said by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter. We reiterate our principle position concerning reports and resolutions on specific countries that are being presented to this third committee. These reflect politicized focuses that detract from the spirit of objectivity, cooperation, and constructive dialogue that should guide the UN's work on human rights. Nicaragua reiterates its demand for absolute respect for sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Burundi in line with the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. The reports of this type that are drafted without consent of the state are biased and politicised and only contribute to confrontation. We firmly condemn the politicisation, selectivity and double standards in those reports. We emphasise that the work of the committee should be based on the principles of universality, objectivity and non-selectivity, promoting genuine dialogue among states. Nicaragua expresses its solidarity with and support for Burundi, recognizing its effort to consolidate peace and development, as well as the well-being of its people, and salutes its commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights in line with its national commitments and its sovereignty. Thank you.

Distinguished representative of Nicaragua. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba, followed by European Union and Islamic Republic of Iran. Cuba, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Chair. The selective practice here and the double standards that we are seeing do not help to improve human rights situations in the field. They just generate mistrust and they undermine the credibility of the UN and the human rights mechanism. We reiterate our opposition to this type of exercise being used as a way of exerting pressure on the South. These efforts are politically motivated, they promote confrontation, and they don't improve human rights situations. We emphasize that the politicization of human rights should cease. We call for an end to selectivity and manipulation, which are infecting the international fora that we're here to engage in. They do not help to promote or protect human rights in the countries of the world. We should be doing that on the basis of universal and objective measures. The universal periodic review of the Human Rights Council is the best forum for that. Human rights situations in any country should be examined in line with equality principles on the basis of dialogue and in cooperation with the country concerned. We believe that focus should be embraced. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Cuba and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of European Union.

Thank you. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the EU and its member states. Do you think the special rapporteur for Yeah, I'm sorry, I, uh, I'm reading the wrong statement. Um, EU thanks the Special Rapporteur for his work and support his mandate renewed by the Human Rights Council. We continue to call on Burundi to engage constructively with the Special Rapporteur and grant him full and unhindered access. The situation of human rights remains worrying as depicted in the report. Violations and abuses still take place, arbitrary arrest and detention and forced disappearances, including of political opponents, alleged acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as well as severe restrictions to the rights to freedom of expression, to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. The electoral period started this year and will culminate with the presidential election 2027. Do you note it with concerned the intimidation of opponents and targeted violence against activists that occurred during the legislative election in June 2025, as well as the lack of pluralism in the new National Assembly. The report highlights the heightened risks of impunity, marginalization of critical voices, and restrictions on civil liberties. The lack of judicial independence calls for substantial reforms to bring justice closer to the people, while governance of the national independent human rights commission needs to be strengthened. The EU deeply regrets the persistent lack of cooperation of the authorities with the UN mechanisms. We call on Burundi to fully cooperate and to implement the recommendations of the former Commission of Inquiry and the Special Rapporteur. We take note of your recommendations addressed to the EU and will continue to strengthen our commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights in Burundi. How can the international community prevent human rights violations in the run-up to the 2027 elections? I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the European Union. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Concerning the report on Burundi, Iran concurs with those allegations in asserting that the counterproductive practice of considering country-specific situations in the Third Committee and exploitation of this platform for political ends is in breach of UN Charter, as well as the principles of universality, non-selectivity, impartiality, and objectivity in addressing human rights issues. The Islamic Republic of Iran takes note of the encouraging developments in Burundi, which reflect a growing willingness by national authorities to engage with the international human rights system. Of particular significance is Burundi's election to the Economic and Social Council, following its recent service as the chair of this very committee. These milestones demonstrate the country's continued participation in multilateral mechanism and its openness to dialogue with the UN. framework. We further welcome the submission of Burundi's combined 11th to 19th periodic reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, an important signal of renewed cooperation with the treaty monitoring bodies after years of limited engagement. We encourage the Government of Burundi to continue its efforts. We call upon the international community to continue supporting Burundi, upon its request, in tackling its recognized complex challenges. In conclusion, my delegation wishes to express its continued encouragement for the people and institutions of Burundi as they steadily advance along the path toward peace, justice, and sustainable development. We encourage UN member states to engage in the human rights discourse with mutual respect and cooperation, and to refrain from adopting country-specific resolutions that lack the consent of the concerned country. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Eritrea, followed by Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Democratic Republic of Congo. Eritrea, you have the floor.

Madam Chair, Eritrea rejects any country-specific mandates, including the mandate of the so-called Special Rapporteur on the situation of my rights in Burundi. the practice is selective and politically motivated to exert undue political pressure on a sovereign state. We believe that human rights situations of all countries should be evaluated fairly, equitably, and with full respect for national sovereignty. Progress in the promotion and protection of human rights can only be achieved by ensuring universality, objectivity, and non-selectivity, not politicization, selectivity or double standards. We believe that the Universal Periodic Review is the most inclusive and constructive platform for enhancing international cooperation and fostering genuine dialogue on human rights. In this regard, we commend Burundi's engagement in the UPR mechanism. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Eritrea and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

My delegation rejects all country-specific mandates and the reports, including the Special Rapporteur

on the situation of human rights in Burundi.

Those country-specific mechanisms are only pursuing political motivation to make pressure and intervention against individual

sovereign states under the pretext of human rights in pursuit of certain countries' political purposes.

Politicization, selectivity, and double standards in addressing human rights issues have no relevance

with the promotion and protection of human rights, but only undermine cooperation and constructive dialogue between countries.

The human rights issue should neither be politicized nor used as a political instrument to targeting other sovereign states under any circumstances. We reiterate that the work of the human rights in the United Nations should be conducted in an objective, transparent, non-selective, non-confrontational, and non-politicized manner. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Democratic Republic of the Congo hails the commitment of Member States to the promotion and protection of human rights with respect for the principles of sovereignty, equality among States, and subregional cooperation. In this regard, my delegation welcomes warmly the Republic of Burundi for the progress that it has made in the reestablishment of peace and stability. We welcome the holding of parliamentary, senatorial, municipal, and local elections in a climate of transparency, inclusivity, and peace. This clearly shows the desire of the people of Burundi to strengthen democracy. My delegation nonetheless believes that the report does not really reflect the reality on the ground. Burundi continues to make notable gains in terms of national reconciliation, the consolidation of the rule of law, and the protection of fundamental rights. These efforts should be recognized and they should be encouraged in a spirit of respectful, constructive dialogue. The Democratic Republic of the Congo reaffirms its commitment to the principles of peace, justice, sustainable development, and multilateralism. They must guide our common action for a world that is more just and has more solidarity. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Democratic Republic of Congo and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mali, followed by Russian Federation and Equatorial Guinea.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, my delegation thanks the Special Rapporteur. We endorse his statement delivered on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter. My delegation wishes to hail the unwavering efforts of the Government of Burundi to ensure a better life for the people of Burundi and to ensure good governance. We would like to say that in a context of an international crisis, the government of our country and of other developing countries share several challenges, hence the need to take into account the reality on the ground and to put less pressure on us. There are many different mechanisms, and the deadlines are hard to meet. My delegation believes that human rights mechanisms need to prioritize dialogue and mutual respect and cooperation. spotlight the effort of countries rather than castigating them, which can sow distrust. They should support the work in countries by contributing qualitatively to enhancing the living conditions of populations concerned. We need to avoid a proliferation of mechanisms while the capacity of countries, financially and otherwise, are constrained. The UPR is the appropriate context here, observing the rules of non-selectivity, neutrality, and impartiality. and avoiding politicization of human rights questions needs to happen too. Madam Chair, let's not forget that the multilateral framework needs to work for international solidarity while leaving no one behind. Let us work together harmoniously with trust to ensure the promotion and protection of human rights while respecting the principles of the Charter. My country remains committed to the promotion and protection of human rights. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Mali, and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Russian Federation.

Madam Chair, distinguished colleagues, once more we would like to reaffirm our negative stance about the UN special rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in Burundi. We are convinced that, due to the imposed nature of this mandate, its report cannot lay claim to objectivity and doesn't reflect the actual reality on the ground. We also see that the countries of the collective West have persisted in using human rights in order to exert pressure on developing African countries. This is an example of neocolonial practices. These practices should be condemned rather than supported by the UN. Russia flatly opposes unilateral approaches toward brazen pressure being brought to bear, including through intergovernmental mechanisms. The national human rights assistance in Burundi should be done only with the consent and upon the request of the government of the country, and should be constructive and not biased. And it should aim at social cohesion and to resolve socioeconomic development tactics. tasks, rather. Here, the motto should be "African problems, African solutions." The activities of the Special Rapporteur are definitely at odds with that motto. I want to say that Burundi has participated in intergovernmental, international, and regional forums. There should be no political pressure brought to bear on this country, and we need to move towards a mutually respectful dialogue, providing mutual assistance with full upholding of the legitimate interests of that government and its people. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Russian Federation. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Equatorial Guinea, followed by Burkina Faso and Gabon.

Thank you. My delegation would like to respond to the report that's been presented on the situation of human rights in Burundi. First of all, we'd like to congratulate the government and people of Burundi on the remarkable progress made in consolidating peace, stability and national cohesion. Burundi successfully held legislative, senatorial, communal and local elections in a peaceful, transparent and inclusive environment, demonstrating its continued commitment to democracy, good governance and national unity. However, my delegation regrets that the report presented today does not accurately reflect the reality on the ground. In recent years, Burundi has made significant progress in promoting national reconciliation, strengthening the rule of law and protecting the rights and dignity of its citizens. We would also like to recall that the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights recently visited Burundi. That visit, conducted in a spirit of constructive cooperation, enabled the commissioners to see firsthand the tangible efforts undertaken by the Burundian authorities to consolidate peace and promote human rights. It was therefore regrettable that the Special Rapporteur had chosen to express criticism rather than celebrate the concrete progress made on the ground. A more balanced and constructive approach would have contributed better to the Commission's mission by strengthening trust and dialogue between Burundi and regional human rights mechanisms. My delegation encourages all international partners to recognize these advances and to support Burundi in its efforts in a spirit of mutual respect, solidarity and equitable collaboration. We oppose any selective or politically motivated approach that violates the principles of impartiality and objectivity and seeks to exert undue pressure on a sovereign state. In conclusion, my The delegation commends the Burundian people for their resilience, political maturity and determination to build a lasting peace based on dialogue, justice and inclusive development. Burundi deserves to be encouraged.

I thank the distinguished representative of Equatorial Guinea and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Burkina Faso.

Madam Chair, my delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the African Group. Madam Chair, the promotion of human rights should rest on non-selectivity, impartiality and objectivity, transparency and respect for the sovereignty of states, so as to avoid any co-opting or instrumentalization of the issue. country-based issues should be treated in objective and balanced fashion. So we denounce the politically motivated report, which does not reflect the reality at national level. We welcome the efforts of Burundi for its initiatives and efforts for the promotion of human rights, and we underscore the fact that the question of human rights within countries should be addressed only within the framework of the Universal Periodic Review, which is the universally acknowledged and accepted mechanism accepted by all states. My delegation reiterates its faith in multilateralism so as to maintain constructive dialogue in this area. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Burkina Faso. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Gabon, followed by Niger, Cameroon, Morocco, and China. Gabon, you have the floor.

Madame Chair, allow me to begin by congratulating the Commission for all of its efforts. In this constructive spirit, we wish to hail the work of Burundi in terms of consolidating peace, stability, and social cohesion. The recent elections show the positive environment and the renewed commitment to democratic governance. We note with interest the recent visit of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights, which allowed for fruitful discussions to take place. We regret the fact that my delegation calls for accompaniment for the Government of Burundi in the spirit of international cooperation. Gabon reiterates its support to the people of Burundi and to its institutions, and we encourage them to continue their work for an inclusive society which is consolidated and based on the rights of everyone. Thank you.

The distinguished representative of Gabon. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Niger.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, on behalf of the Republic of Niger, I have the honor to take the floor to speak about the report presented today on the situation of human rights in Burundi. First off, Niger congratulates the government and the people of Burundi for the remarkable progress that they've made toward building peace, stability, and national cohesion. The recent legislative senatorial Communal and local elections, which are held in a peaceful, inclusive environment, show the commitment of this country to democracy and national unity. Niger also wants to mention the notable efforts of Burundi to ensure national reconciliation, the strengthening of the rule of law, and the protection of the dignity of its citizens. We also welcome the readiness of the authorities of Burundi to engage in dialogue and to cooperate with national and international human rights mechanisms, as evidenced by the recent visit by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to the people in Burundi. We would have liked to see these achievements clearly mentioned in the report under review. Niger calls upon the international community and its partners to accompany Burundi as it seeks to consolidate peace and development with the spirit of mutual respect, solidarity, and just partnership. We oppose any form of a selective politicized approach which would run counter to the principles of impartiality and objectivity and which would risk impeding the process of national reconciliation. To conclude, Madam Chair, Niger encourages the people of Burundi to -- microphone has been cut off.

I thank the distinguished representative of Niger and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cameroon.

Madam Chair, dear colleagues, we align ourselves with the statement delivered by the delegation of Burundi. and we would like to make the following statements. My delegation reaffirms the importance of a cooperative approach to uphold human rights for Cameroon. All parties interested in good faith in improving the human rights situation in a country can't work successfully without the cooperation of the country concerned. Madam Chair, the excessive politicization of human rights and the artificial Manichaean division introduced can't create dialogue and cooperation to improve the human rights situation in any country, whatever that country may be. Cameroon encourages all delegations that truly care about the human rights situation in Burundi to adopt as quickly as possible this constructive and cooperative approach. As my country sees it, the work of the UN on human rights should be governed by the basic principles of universality, transparency, impartiality, non-selectivity, and non-politicization and objectivity. Cameroon believes that Burundi is managing human rights on its territory, as demonstrated by the successful holding of senatorial, regional, and local elections. There was a recommendation accepted by the government during its universal periodic review as well. the UPR, which should be the mechanism of choice for monitoring human rights situations in any given country. I thank you, Madam Chair.

Distinguished representative of Cameroon. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Morocco, followed by China.

Madame Chair. Morocco remains committed to the protection and promotion of human rights and reaffirms that the responsibility to ensure respect, protection, and achievement of human rights falls, firstly, to states. Human rights in all countries should be assessed in a fair and balanced way, with full respect for national sovereignty. The Kingdom of Morocco firmly believes in universality, objectivity, and non-selectivity. in dealing with human rights-related issues around the world. As per the relevant General Assembly resolution, we are opposed to politicization of human rights and double standards, which have proven counterproductive and conflictual without achieving significant results in terms of promotion and protection of human rights. Morocco applauds the Republic of Burundi for its remarkable progress in establishing peace and stability and for holding legislative, senatorial, municipal and local elections recently, which was carried out in a peaceful and constructive spirit. Burundi has made significant progress in terms of national reconciliation, strengthening the rule of law and protecting human rights and the dignity of its population. The African Commission on Human Rights and Peoples carried out a mission in March 2025 and held a frank dialogue with the Burundian authorities. That mission was presided over by Remy Lombo. looked at a number of key policies in Burundi. Burundi has played a key role. The microphone has been cut off.

Representative of Morocco. And now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of China.

Madam Chair, China takes note of the SRS report on the human rights situation in Burundi.

We commend the Burundian government for its positive efforts to safeguard national stability and promote national reconciliation, as well as its progress in promoting and protecting human rights. The current peace and stability in Burundi have not come easily.

China reiterates that the international community should continue to.

Respect Burundi's sovereignty and independence and respect its efforts to address domestic issues independently so as to play a positive role in helping Burundi achieve national stability and sustainable development. Regrettably, instead of playing a constructive role, some countries have disregarded the repeated and clear requests of the Burundian government and several African countries for the HRC to terminate the special mechanism on Burundi. This not only impedes Burundi's stability and development, but also.

Represents a serious waste of the HRC's valuable resources, further aggravating the UN financial crisis.

China always advocates for addressing differences in the field of human rights through constructive dialogue and cooperation. We oppose politicizing human rights issues and establishing or extending country-specific mechanisms without the consent of the countries concerned.

We expect all parties to pursue constructive dialogue and cooperation on human rights issues and work together to improve global.

Human rights governance.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of China. I now give back the floor to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi, Mr. Fortunate Gaitan Zongo.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to take a couple minutes to respond to the questions. And there are a couple of points I'd like to address. First, we heard from some states who spoke about the question of the politicization, selectivity, and there were all sorts of remarks made about the special rapporteur. I want to say that questions should be addressed to states, not the Special Rapporteur. I'm not the Special Rapporteur so that I can criticize a mandate or not. I'm fulfilling the mandate that you've entrusted to me. And if some states think that mandates in their current configuration deserve some revision or reform, then it's up to them to initiate all the steps that would be needed. in order to undertake such a revision or such a reform, this in accordance with whatever their wishes are. So, I don't have a lot to say about those issues. Turning to another aspect, the mandate itself. The mandate itself came from your particular will. I want to recall the rollover of the mandate on the 6th of October. It was practically a plebiscite. That is a landslide victory. There were 23 yes and nine no votes. That shows a certain will, a certain aspiration coming from the Human Rights Council and the international community as a whole. So on this same point, there's not a lot to be said. And finally, turning to another aspect, there's the report itself. So there's some issues about raised about the report. I think it would be interesting to dwell on that a moment, and I'd like to recall that the report was drawn up independently, impartially and professionally. What are the principles that guide the special rapporteur in the discharge of his mandate? So in this report, Yes, there was a call for contributions for the mandate, and that call was sent out. We made a request to the state of Burundi, too, which failed to respond. They never responded. And there was a call to civil society or to those that wanted to participate, and we analyzed all the contributions and remained objective when the observations were finalized, before publishing them and submitting them to the Council, we sent the draft to the state of Burundi to look at those observations. And at that stage, too, the government of Burundi did not condescend to respond to the drafts. And they didn't say which parts they agreed with and which parts they didn't. They abstained from doing so. It was only in this hall during the presentation that they said that these things are true, these things are wrong, this is politicization. No. So they had the responsibility to respond. And their response could have been reflected in the report, but they didn't do that. That's exactly the same stance that we see here. So, this document is a report, and you are the ones who decided to call the document a report. It's the desire of the states to call it a report. Now, let's go back to the mandate itself. The mandate emanates from a crisis that started in 2015 that caused the exodus of around 400,000 residents of Burundi. I think that's the problem. It's the fact that the crisis has dragged on up until today. And There have been other crises that have transpired since then. There are other geopolitical situations in the world impacting that crisis. Also the environmental dimensions like flooding. But 10 years following the crisis, the situation hasn't been resolved. Since 2023, we've seen that that's when the process began for preparing for general elections. We see step by step the various stages toward the implementation of this process. I observed how the main opposition parties were destroyed in Burundi. Systematically, methodically, all the opposition parties were cleared away and weren't able to participate in the elections. The elections were decided ahead of time. All sorts of procedures were put in place to weaken the other parties. So we have a upper chamber and a lower chamber in a country with only one single political party. both in the upper chamber and in the lower chamber. That's the situation. So I'm not calling into question the observations of the African Union or anyone else, no. I've followed the entire procedure up until the results were published. And here, I think that there are I think you can't say that this is, I think you have to say there's only one party represented in Burundi from the upper chamber to the lower chamber. So me, I'm not pointing the figure, the finger rather, I'm only telling you what the facts are. In my presentation, you don't see any aspersions cast against Burundi. In Burundi, I see a people that is resilient, that is overcoming extreme difficulties. And I call upon the international community, I call upon you, and I called upon you in my presentation, to support the people of Burundi. And I think that we can do this harmoniously. We can discuss the implementation of the reform. We could talk about reforming the process of this special rapporteur. Then we could talk about some objective support that could be given to the people of Burundi, too. So I was asked one question. How to prevent human rights violations in Burundi? What I think is that the response would go back to the crisis of 2015. There was one thing that happened. There was the agreement of Abusha and Burundi. So one path could be to reread that document, to adapt it to the current circumstances and to the situation of 2025. And we could put it to work again. For Burundi, this would mean that the citizens of Burundi can talk amongst themselves to have some consensus so they can govern their country. So I don't want to speak any longer. I think if you want to attack the report, you can attack it. But the objective and every element in that report was verified and checked. Unfortunately, the report only gave us a limit of words that we could use, although we could have gone on for ten times as long. And people that are interested in the preparatory work, you can see all the documents that were used, all of the documents that fueled the work of the report. and you can see that this was done impartially. I'm in favor of cooperation. I want to see to what extent there are some elements that might merit taking Burundi off of the agenda. They could be presented to the Human Rights Council. I'm prepared to do that myself, but we still need cooperation. But since I've started my mandate, there's been no dialogue. While the very same Human Rights Council that put in place the mandate, Burundi is a member of that council, and it hasn't respected the provisions of the Human Rights Council. That's the reality. Burundi made a statement. since 2013 about the special procedures. And Burundi doesn't accept the presence of the Special Rapporteur or the special procedures. And that was true in 2016 and other times. So if you-- we need to be in a regulated situation here. I'm going to leave it at that, and I thank you very much for your attention.

Thank you, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi. I now welcome the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Salam Babiker. Participants wishing to make comments and pose questions to the speaker are invited to press the microphone button within the next three minutes, after which the list will be closed. The time limit for each speaker will be announced before the floor is given to the first speaker. I thank you for your cooperation. I now invite the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea to make an introductory statement. Mr. Babiker, you have the floor.

Honorable Chair, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to address you again in my capacity as Special Rapporteur to present my report and oral update on the situation of human rights in Eritrea. Since I presented my report before the Human Rights Council in June 2024, the state of human rights in Eritrea remains tremendously concerning, with systematic violations continuing unabated and largely unaddressed. The government has taken no steps to reform the indefinite national service program, a system widely characterized by pervasive human rights violations. Rising tensions with Ethiopia, sparked by Ethiopians renewed rhetoric over the Red Sea access have led to increased military deployment along the border since mid-2025, heightening fears of renewed confrontation. Eritrea has reinforced its position near the Djibouti-Eritrea border, while Ethiopia has mobilized forces in Tigray and Afar. These developments, coupled with inflammatory rhetoric from both sides and reports of intensified coercion, INSIGHTI and NAFCa have raised serious concerns about a potential return to conflict, as well as a revival of Gifar campaigns for forced recruitment, particularly against targeting youth. Freedom of expression, association, assembly, the right to participate in public affairs, civic and democratic space are absent and systematically suppressed. Eritrea has no independent media, civil society, and opposition groups. Dissenting and critical voices continue to face arbitrary arrest, prolonged and incommunicado detention, torture and other forms of inhumane or degrading treatment. This has been the state policy for over three decades. As detailed in my report, the deliberate targeting of specific religious groups has continued unabated, reflecting a policy of repression and intolerance. Presently, 64 Jehovah's Witnesses and around 400 Christians remain arbitrarily imprisoned without charges or trial. Around 10 to 15 young people who were detained for uploading worship songs on YouTube remain imprisoned. I urge the Government to release all individuals and to establish effective due process safeguards. The policy of imprisoning individuals for their religious beliefs, activities or contentious objection constitute a violation of their right to manifest their religion or belief. Also, as detailed in my report, the fate of hundreds of Muslim teachers and religious community leaders who disappeared since 1991 when Eritrean authorities targeted Muslim religious groups in Karen, in Ganda, and Massawa remains unknown. In August 2025, prominent religious leaders were detained by the authorities. This policy is neither accidental nor isolated in nature, but rather structural and systematic, aimed at disempowering and dismantling institutional structures of Muslim communities. Honorable Chair, distinguished delegates, Eritrea continues with its pursuit of social control and reprisals beyond its borders. Transnational repression targeting dissenting Eritrean voices in the diaspora is so rampant. As I stated in my report, the Eritrean government has deployed a plethora of acts that are aimed at subjecting Eritrean activists and others in the diaspora to intimidation, surveillance and threats in order to stifle their political engagement. These include mobilizing and deploying pro-government actors across European refugee host countries with instructions to monitor, intimidate and harass members of the diaspora, including human rights defenders and activists. Such transnational repression has created a climate of fear among Eritrean communities abroad. Urgent measures are required to ensure the protection of refugees and asylum seekers in host countries from these nefarious acts of intimidation and harassment, and to safeguard their rights to security, freedom of expression, and association. I am also particularly concerned at the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers by some host countries. The situation of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers globally continue to deteriorate, compounded by restrictive migration policies and the proliferation of conflicts in important transit and destination countries, such as Sudan, Ethiopia, and Libya. I'm gravely concerned over the continued arbitrary detention and deportation of Eritreans from Egypt and Ethiopia without due process and an evaluation of the human rights situation of Eritreans. in clear violation of international law. Upon return to Eritrea, deportees were reportedly subjected to arbitrary detention, enforced conscription, and in some cases, enforced disappearance. In Israel, Eritrean asylum seekers face legal uncertainty and continue to be denied protection under the state's restrictive asylum framework and policies. I humbly call on all States to uphold the principle of non-refoulement and to ensure access to fair and individualized asylum procedures. I equally call on UNHCR to provide adequate assistance to individuals in need of international protection and interfere effectively to uphold its protection mandate for refugees, taking prompt action in situations where there are grave risks of refoulement. Impunity for human rights violations remains the norm, firmly embedded in the government system of repression and driven by a persistent pursuit of self-preservation. No effort has been made to ensure accountability for human rights violations, documented by the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea and various reports of Special Rapporteurs for more than a decade. Similarly, no action has been taken to uphold accountable Eritrean Defence Forces. that reportedly committed gross human rights violations in the armed conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia. I appeal to the international community to fulfill its obligation to ensure accountability, particularly where domestic mechanisms have proven unwilling or unable to act. It must act decisively and to send a clear message that Eritrea is not a human rights free zone. Eritrea will brook anything escape accountability. It is recent efforts, as the Human Rights Council, to discontinue my mandate is one of the many strategies being employed to ensure that justice for numerous victims is never achieved. Finally, I urge the government of Eritrea to engage constructively and to cooperate meaningfully with my mandate. Despite repeated requests, access to the country and dialogue with the authorities have not been granted. I remain ready to engage in serious and result-oriented dialogue to address the grave and persistent human rights violations facing the Eritrean people. I thank you.

I thank the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea. I will now open the floor for questions or comments to Mr. Babiker. As per past practice, I will ask the delegation to limit their comments to two minutes. I thank you for your kind cooperation. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Eritrea.

Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, Eritrea does not recognize the mandate of so-called Special Rapporteur and calls upon all Member States to reassess its purpose, integrity, and legitimacy. This mandate has been shaped, influenced and sustained by politically motivated, Western-funded actors rooted in a politicized agenda rather than an objective assessment of facts on the ground. Political activism must not be disguised as human rights work. For over For 12 years, Eritrea has consistently urged member states to demand source disclosure, methodological transparency, and institutional accountability in all UN human rights reporting on Eritrea. Those calls have been largely ignored, Mr. Chair. The 2025 report contained in H/HRC/59/24 is characterized by selectivity, flawed methodology, lack of objectivity, and political bias. It relies exclusively on remote interviews, anonymous testimonies, and politically motivated submissions from outside Eritrea. Yet, sweeping conclusions are drawn, exposing the underlying motives of the mandate. If not for a fact-checking rebuttal, it is compelling to address a few aspects of the ill-premised conclusions and recycled fallacies contained in the report. First, a fundamental contradiction in the report is its admission of lack of access to Eritrea, while claiming systemic, systematic, and widespread violations. One cannot claim verified evidence of systematic violations without independent verification or first-hand assessment. This very disregard for the UN principles of independence reliability and verifiability under GA resolution 5/1 undermine the report's credibility. Second, the report paradoxically acknowledges Eritrea's progress in health, education, and food security, even under sanctions, yet dismisses those achievements as insufficient, alleging systematic socioeconomic neglect. Measurable improvements in literacy, maternal health, immunization, and access to clean water are documented and commended by UNICEF, UNDP, FAO, WHO, and the African Development Bank. Ignoring verifiable outcomes because they do not fit a predetermined narrative reflects bias, not objective assessment. Third, the report misrepresents Eritrea's national service as indefinite and forced labor. ignoring that it is grounded in the national law that serves developmental and security purposes and includes exemptions and rotation mechanisms. Under Proclamation No. 82/1995, the program is lawful and essential for nation building, skills development, and social cohesion. ILO Convention No. 29 explicitly excludes compulsory national service from the definition of forced labour. Ironically, the European states that propagate this narrative against Eritrea are now introducing similar programmes at home, citing sovereignty and security, highlighting the legitimacy and the international alignment of Eritrea's national service. Fourth, similarly, the report misrepresents Eritrea's engagement with UN mechanisms, retroactively participates in the universal periodic review, monitor treaty bodies, and other universal and non-selective mechanisms, demonstrating its commitment to international obligations and multilateral cooperation. Fifth, the report repeatedly employs sweeping and unsubstantiated language, including terms such as systematic, widespread and institutionalized repression without verifiable data, methodological transparency, or evidence-based analysis. Its arbitrary recommendations disregard Eritrea's security context, including persistent regional threats, and undermine the state's sovereign right to pursue national development. Sixth, the report also misrepresents Eritrea's social and religious landscape, ignoring its longstanding exemplary customs and traditions of ethnic and religious coexistence, tolerance, and respect. Christians and Muslims have coexisted peacefully for centuries, and communities actively participate in civic and nation-building programs. It further distorts the role of the Eritrean diaspora, portraying the voluntary 2% repatriation and recovery tax as coerced, when it in fact supports national reconstruction and reflects civic duty, solidarity, and patriotism. Overall, the report conveniently disregards Eritrea's achievements in fostering an inclusive, resilient, and participatory society. Madam Chair. Eritrea's development strategy anchored on the realization of human dignity and full participation of its people endeavors to progressively realize economic, social, and cultural rights. Despite legal sanctions and external financing restrictions, Eritrea has achieved measurable progress in health, education, water access, and food security. Those outcomes reflect a coordinated evidence-based and resource-conscious strategy grounded in self-reliance, social justice and equity, and community participation, exemplifying Eritrea's commitment to progressive realization of sustainable development and responsible governance. Madam Chair, despite the glaring contradictions of the report and the politically motivated mandate, Eritrea remains committed to constructive engagement under UN principles of sovereignty, equality, and non-selectivity and full participation in the UPR and treaty bodies. The mandate has consistently failed to secure broad support within the Human Rights Council. Over the past five years, no African member state has supported it, and the majority of members have routinely abstained or voted against it. Votes in favour are often obtained through coercion and mandate continues to be sponsored by the European states, further undermining its credibility and legitimacy. Eritrea categorically rejects the report's allegations as unsubstantiated, biased, and legally unfounded. Eritrea calls for its immediate termination and urges the Council to adopt mechanisms that promote engagement based on objective, verifiable facts, multilateral cooperation, and respect for national sovereignty. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Eritrea. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Burundi, followed by Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Belarus.

Thank you very much, Madam. My delegation espouses what was said by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter. We reiterate our commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights in respect for sovereignty and non-interference. Burundi deplores the fact that some special rapporteurs reports are politicized. Human rights should be founded on non-politicization. We firmly reject the abuse of human rights mechanisms to achieve interference without taking into account national circumstances. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Burundi and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Thank you, Chair. Venezuela has the honour to take the floor on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the UN. The presentation of country-specific resolutions without the consent of the state concerned goes against the principles of impartiality, objectivity, transparency, non-selectivity, non-politicisation and non-confrontation, and the spirit of the UN Charter. We express our serious concern at the continued and proliferation of mechanisms and procedures that pretend to make impartial assessments of the human rights situation in certain states. In most cases, these lack not only due consent and participation of the state in question, but also base their reports on secondary, tertiary or other sources that may be partial or lack credibility. This ends up turning such documents into mere propaganda pamphlets. while granting them a purported legitimacy simply because of the fact that they are issued by bodies of this organization. We strongly condemn the failure of these mechanisms to acknowledge member states' human rights efforts, basing judgments on shortcomings while disregarding externally imposed challenges and major impediments. such as those resulting from the illegal application of unilateral coercive measures. We cannot overemphasize the importance in this context of avoiding the UN's name and spirit being misused to advance the political agendas of certain states in clear disregard for the purposes and principles enshrined in the UN Charter. The rest of our statement will be published in the minutes. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Belarus, followed by Egypt and Islamic Republic of Iran.

Madam.

Chair, distinguished colleagues, Belarus has not tired of reiterating its principal position that it does not accept the country-based approach in the work of the UN that includes the activities of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burundi. We categorically reject the instrumentalization of human rights to justify intervention into the internal affairs of sovereign states. Separate approaches have nothing in common with the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity, and non-selectivity, which underpin the entire human rights system. Given the liquidity crisis, when we are combining the mandates of special rapporteurs on entire areas, spending millions of dollars to maintain a glut of mechanisms such as this should be viewed as unacceptable. We have consistently advocated for the fact that the main mechanism for consideration of human rights issues in all countries, with no exceptions, is the universal periodic review in the UN Human Rights Council, which allows for an objective assessment of progress achieved in this area. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Belarus and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Egypt.

Thank you, Chair. I'm making this statement as a general comment on mandates created against the will of the state concerned. The Arab Republic of Egypt categorically oppose the creation of such mandates. We firmly believe that the promotion and the protection of human rights requires the dialogue and the cooperation while respecting the sovereignty of states. Indeed, the principles upon which the Human Rights Council was based are that of objectivity and non-selectivity and cooperation. We also emphasize that the channels through which the situation of human rights in states are to be discussed remains the UPR mechanism, in addition to the treaty bodies to which states parties to international human rights instruments report regularly on the implementation of their obligation under any of those treaties. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Egypt and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes on the need for the Third Committee to fulfill its mandate to promote and protect human rights based on genuine dialogue and cooperation, in compliance with the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the basic principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity, and non-selectivity in its functioning. This is critically, this is the critical responsibility of all states to keep this August platform distance from politicization and confrontation that jeopardize the genuine dialogue over human rights discourse. While rejecting all country-specific mandates imposed without the consent of the concerned country, Iran welcomes Eritrea's participation in its fourth UPR in 2024 and its ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Person with Disabilities, both positive steps toward greater engagement with international human rights mechanisms. These steps signal a willingness to engage with the international human rights framework. It is important to acknowledge the positive steps Eritrea has taken in advancing human rights and social development goals. According to the reports, the government of Eritrea has demonstrated progress in public health and education. Madam Chair, we are of the view that providing necessary technical assistance upon the government's consent and request will strengthen its capabilities and capacities to overcome its challenges and build a prosperous future for all Eritreans. Madam Chair, finally, we urge the UN system to avoid pursuing the political will of certain states and respect the principles of universality, non-selectivity, impartiality, objectivity in addressing human rights issues. The UPR of Human Rights Council remains the most relevant and non-discriminatory platform addressing the human rights situations of all countries on an equal and impartial basis. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, followed by Zimbabwe and Uganda.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

My delegation reiterates its firm rejection to country-specific mandates and their reports, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea. We are deeply concerned that the politicized practice of unfairly dealing with human rights situations of specific countries, especially the developing countries, is more prevalent in the international arena. Politicization, selectivity, and double standards in addressing human rights issues have no relevance with the promotion and protection of human rights, but only hinder cooperation and constructive dialogue between countries. We have the UPR mechanism of the Human Rights Council, where human rights situations of all countries are considered in an impartial, transparent, objective, non-selective and non-politicized manner. My delegation firmly believes that only constructive dialogue and cooperation on the basis of respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs can bring about genuine promotion and protection of human rights. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe.

Thank you, Chair. My delegation takes the floor to reaffirm our long-standing and principled position against country-specific reports and the resulting resolutions on certain countries. Our position is guided by the enduring principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations: solidarity, cooperation, equality, non-selectivity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of Member States. These principles, together with genuine dialogue, constitute the only credible path towards advancing the mission and effectiveness of the United Nations. We reiterate our concerns that country-specific reports and resolutions run counter to these fundamental principles. Their selective and divisive nature continue to undermine trust and cooperation among member states. The politicization of human rights issues erodes the credibility of multilateral processes, fostering confrontation rather than constructive engagement, and detracting from the universal objective of promoting and protecting human rights for all. Zimbabwe remains resolute in its commitment to uphold and advance the inalienable rights and dignity of all people. We recognize the vital role of the United Nations, particularly the Human Rights Council, in fostering genuine dialogue and cooperation. In this spirit, Zimbabwe calls for renewed commitment to genuine multilateralism, one that is based on inclusivity, respect, equality, and the sovereign equality of nations. We believe that human rights are best promoted through cooperation, capacity building and dialogue, not through selectivity, politicization or the imposition of external agendas. Accordingly, and as a matter of principle, Zimbabwe cannot support country-specific reports and resolutions, and will continue to vote against them. We reaffirm our readiness to engage constructively in collective efforts, grounded in mutual respect, to address all human rights concerns, including the right to development, in a manner that is fair, balanced and non-discriminatory. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uganda, followed by Burkina Faso and European Union.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We align ourselves with the statement delivered by Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in Face of the Charter. We wish to underline at the outset the importance of the THAD Committee maintaining a constructive, non-confrontational, non-politician, non-selective dialogue with all states. We believe that positive engagement and cooperation of the human rights machinery with concerned countries, including Eritrea, is a productive and an effective means of promotion and protection of human rights. The UPR, in our view, is the primary mechanism to address member states' fulfilment of their human rights obligations in an equal manner. In this regard, we applaud the participation of Eritrea in the fourth UPR cycle. It was a clear demonstration by the Eritrean Government of its readiness to continue cooperation with human rights mechanisms to address human rights situations of our people. The experience has shown clearly that imposition of mandates on countries without their respective consent is counterproductive and will continue to be so and should be avoided. Uganda, therefore, implores the Committee to prioritize dialogue and engagement with the Government of Eritrea to pave a path to sustainable promotion and protection of human rights. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Uganda. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Burkina Faso.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My delegation believes that questions of human rights need to be addressed with full respect for the principles of impartiality, objectivity, transparency, non-selectivity, and non-politicization. It is vital that for all states, the assessment of human rights be done with respect for national sovereignty without any instrumentalization. My delegation welcomes Eritrea's efforts to promote and protect human rights despite its particular context. We encourage Eritrea to continue its work to promote human rights. My delegation reaffirms its faith in constructive multilateralism and remains convinced that human rights within countries need to be addressed in only one framework. That is the Universal Periodic Review, which is universally recognized and accepted by everyone. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Burkina Faso. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of European Union, followed by Mali and Equatorial Guinea.

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the UN and its member states. The UN thanks the Special Rapporteur and continues to support his mandate. We continue to call on Eritrea to engage constructively and grant him full and unhindered access. The report notes the profound impact of the indefinite national service on the human rights situation, as well as patterns of transnational repression against Eritrean diaspora. We note the progress made in the sphere of social rights as reported by the UN country team, notably in the areas of health and education, GM, sexual and gender based violence, water, sanitation and hygiene, and collection of child protection data. We strongly encourage Eritrea to continue strengthening its partnership with the UN. Nevertheless, we remain gravely concerned about the human rights situation. The EU stresses the urgent need, in compliance with the UN Charter and Eritrea's international obligations, to revise the practice of indefinite national service and arbitrary conscription. We call to address all human rights violations, including arbitrary detention and forced disappearances, torture, inhumane prison conditions, and widespread impunity. We call on Eritrea to guarantee freedom of expression and opinion and freedom of peaceful assembly and association. The EU deplores the lack of accountability for human rights violations and calls to implement the recommendations presented by human rights mechanisms, including the Commission of Inquiry. In line with the OHCHR recommendations, we call on the government to carry out credible, independent investigations into alleged violations and abuses of human rights and violations of IHL committed during and after the war in Tigray region of Ethiopia in order to provide justice to all victims. Mr. Special Rapporteur, how can states enhance cooperation to protect individuals from transnational repression? Also, how do you view the progress on human rights in Eritrea in light of last year's CPR and the recommendations to the government? I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of European Union and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mali.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Madame la President.

Madam Chair, my delegation thanks the Special Rapporteur. We endorse the statement delivered by Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter. My delegation hails the efforts of Eritrea to offer, on a daily basis, better living conditions for the people of Eritrea and to ensure good governance. My delegation believes that the promotion of rights necessarily entails dialogue, mutual respect, and cooperation. The efforts Efforts for peace should be made rather than politicization. The Universal Periodic Review remains the appropriate venue here, and there must be respect for neutrality and impartiality. My delegation will further socioeconomic development, which is vital to the promotion and protection of human rights. let us work together for the promotion and protection of human rights, Madam Chair, with respect for the principles of the Charter, especially the respect for the sovereignty and the non-interference into the domestic affairs of states. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Mali. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Equatorial Guinea, followed by Nicaragua and Ethiopia.

Thank you, Chair. The delegation of Equatorial Guinea is taking the floor to make a few brief comments on the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Eritrea. Equatorial Guinea would like to reaffirm its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and recognize the key role played by the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms. We feel that human rights should be dealt with through a fair system. that respects sovereignty and diversity of states. In light of that, my delegation feels that the presentation of country-specific resolutions without the consent of the state concerned contravenes the principles of objectivity, non-politicization and others, but also goes against the spirit of the United Nations Charter. We also feel that it's very important for to avoid double standards and politicization because that undermines the UN human rights system. Chair, to conclude, we would like to emphasize that progress with human rights can only be achieved through dialogue and cooperation.

Not through confrontation or these other kinds of processes. Thank you.

Thank you, Chair. Nicaragua espouses the statement made by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations. imposition of mandates on sovereign states contravenes fundamental principles of sovereignty, non-interference and territorial integrity, which are enshrined in the UN Charter. The CRNDUA calls for full respect of sovereignty, self-determination and territorial integrity of the Republic of Eritrea. We reject manipulation, selective use of the human rights agenda as an instrument for political pressure in flagrant infringement of the principles of objectivity, transparency and non-selectivity. We do not agree to these reports that are carried out without the consent of the state concerned. They contain biased information that comes from external sources with political interests that seek to distort the reality. Nicaragua reiterates its solidarity with the people and government of Eritrea, recognizing its sovereign efforts to strengthen peace, stability and national development, as well as to move forward with the promotion and protection of human rights of its people, in line with its own circumstances, priorities and inalienable right to self-determination. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Nicaragua. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ethiopia, followed by United Kingdom and Russian Federation.

I thank you, Madam Chair. We thank the Special Rapporteur for his comprehensive report and his presentation today. Ethiopia remains committed to promoting human rights, peace, and human dignity. We take note of the substantive report within the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, yet my delegation wish to express concern regarding some references which falls outside the Special Rapporteur's mandate. The scope of the mandate established by the Council is defined to assess the human rights situation in the country concerned. Care must be taken to make sure as the report is not a thematic exercise and adhere to the mandates under the Human Rights Council resolution 59/1. Ethiopia has long been recognized for hosting nearly a million refugees, including hundreds of thousands from the country of concern. This August gathering is mindful of my government's progressive refugee policy, which allows refugees to reside within communities where they enjoy freedom of movement, access to social services, employment, vital events registration, and even establish business. These generous policy actions are well documented by UNHCR and humanitarian agencies. The misrepresentation of facts within the report under consideration must be rectified. With regard to the violations of rights within the Ethiopian territory, we will We call on the Special Rapporteur to exercise caution in the attributions contained in the report. As far as Ethiopia is concerned, it stands ready to exercise the universal application of its laws to ensure accountability for gross violations of human rights committed within our territory and against Ethiopians by any actor, including foreign military. In conclusion, Madam Chair, Ethiopia reiterates its commitment to the respect for human rights as enshrined under relevant human rights instruments. The core responsibility of States for human rights must, at a minimum, ensure legislative and institutional guarantee. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ethiopia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom.

Thank you, Chair.

The UK would also like to thank the Special Rapporteur for this report and we note his recommendations. The true situation of human rights in Eritrea remains unclear. The UK continues to support the Special Rapporteur's mandate, again urging Eritrea to engage with the mechanisms that would allow scrutiny of this position. This lack of engagement and transparency presents challenges to progress and limits efforts to support the protection and promotion of human rights for Eritrean people. Eritrea has made notable progress in certain areas, such as combating the harmful practice of female genital mutilation and overseeing an improvement in educational standards and opportunity. However, there is so much more that needs to be done. We remain concerned about arbitrary and incommunicado detention, and we call on the government to ensure that all those incarcerated in this way will be released. Addressing these human rights issues is important for Eritrea's development and will contribute enormously to regional stability and security. Special rapporteur, how best can the committee help resolve the impasse around country access for your mandate? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of United Kingdom. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Russian Federation, followed by Switzerland and Ireland.

Madam Chair, distinguished colleagues, Russia is against the politicized consideration of the situation in Eritrea. The course set by the Western states to co-opt human rights to pressure an African state will not facilitate an improvement in the human rights situation on the ground. It is an example of neocolonial practice. Eritrea did not support the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and has been consistent in opposing such human rights resolutions. it is supporting the HRC and others that support the subsidiary body of the GA. Instead of finding an opportunity to cooperate with the government of this country, the Special Rapporteur has set course for confrontation and engaged in a document that is full of double standards. What's particularly egregious the fact that the support for the UCMs against Eritrea in flagrant violation of international law, which says that sanctions pressure adversely affects the human rights in affected countries. We've spoken about that often. The special envoy and UCMs have said that many times, and it's been mentioned elsewhere too. We call upon all states and and all human rights mechanisms to engage in constructive cooperation based on unconditional respect for sovereignty and their legitimate interests. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Russian Federation. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Switzerland.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Switzerland thanks the Special Rapporteur for his report and for his steadfast commitment. We express our full support to him in the discharge of his mandate, which was just renewed by the Human Rights Council. Switzerland remains deeply troubled by the human rights situation in Eritrea, and we share the concerns in particular about the freedom of expression, of association, of assembly, of religion, as well as the right to participate in public affairs. We also remain concerned by the persistence of indefinite national service, which deprives citizens of their freedom. Switzerland calls upon Eritrea to fully abide by its obligations under the main international human rights treaties to which it is a party. Switzerland emphasizes the importance of strengthening the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. It calls upon Eritrea to cooperate with all United Nations mechanisms for human rights, including with the Special Rapporteur. And we call upon Eritrea to ensure the follow-up of the recommendations stemming from the Universal Periodic Review last year, in particular by instituting a moratorium on the death penalty, which is the first stage toward its abolition. Mr. Special Rapporteur, you mentioned in your presentation and in the report the selective engagement of Eritrea with UN mechanisms. What forms of engagement do you think could encourage genuine cooperation and measurable progress in terms of human rights? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Switzerland. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ireland, followed by Sudan, Cuba, and China.

Thank you, Chair. Ireland aligns itself with the statement of the EU and thanks the Special Rapporteur for his most recent report. We welcome the ratification by Eritrea of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in December 2024 and its engagement on the review by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in January 2025. However, Ireland is gravely concerned by the report's findings that Eritrea continues to violate the political and civil rights of its citizens, both at home and abroad. The targeting of human rights defenders, journalists and members of Eritrean civil society exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression is particularly alarming. Furthermore, we are concerned by the ongoing use of indefinite conscription, including of minors, and the human rights abuses that are inflicted upon conscripts, such as forced labour, inhuman and degrading treatment and sexual violence. Lastly, we strongly condemn the ongoing obstruction by the Government of the important work of the Special Rapporteur. We call on the Government to take immediate steps to provide access to the country and to implement the recommendations set out in the report. Rapporteur, how can the international community do more to protect Eritrean citizens abroad who are subject to transnational repression?

I thank the distinguished representative of Ireland and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sudan.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My delegation believes that the effective implementation of the Human Rights Council's mandate must be guided by the principles of universality, objectivity, impartiality, and non-selectivity. My delegation objects the politicization and double standards. Such practices have proven counterproductive to advance the promotion and protection of the human rights. Madam Chair, the promotion and the protection of the human rights must be pursued through dialogue and cooperation with full respect for national ownership and policy priorities. We highly encourage the meaningful engagement with the government of Eritrea based on mutual respect and partnership with full respect for national sovereignty. We acknowledge the significant efforts undertaken by the government of Eritrea to fulfill its human rights obligations including active and constructive engagement with the mechanisms mandated by the Human Rights Council, which demonstrate its commitment to upholding and rapidly enhancing human rights within its sovereign territory. Consequently, we urge for the revocation of the United coercive measures imposed on Eritrea due to its direct and adverse impact on the enjoyment of human rights. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Sudan and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba.

Thank you very much, Chair. Our position is well known. We are in favor of cooperation and dialogue as the only way to promote and protect human rights in all countries on objective, universal, and non-discriminatory bases. Double standards and punitive focuses do not help to improve human rights situations in the field and only generate confrontation and mistrust. In light of this, we reiterate once again our position about exercises of this type, which are used to exert pressure on countries, mainly countries in the South. and impose hegemonic interests and political motivations. Thank you.

The distinguished representative of Cuba. And now I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of China.

Madam Chair, China commends the Eritrean government's efforts and achievements in promoting and protecting human rights, respects its people's independent choice of their development path, and supports the country's effort to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and development interests. With China's consistent position to promote and protect human rights through dialogue and cooperation, we are firmly against politicizing and instrumentalizing the human rights issue and oppose the imposition of country-specific procedures without the consent of the countries concerned. Renewing the country-specific procedure without the consent of Eritrea leads only to heightened antagonism, inefficiency, and wasted resources. China urges certain countries to stop interfering in Eritrea's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights, respect the basic principles of objectivity, impartiality, non-selectivity and non-politicization, lift UCMs and sanctions against Eritrea, and return to the right track of dialogue and cooperation without delay to provide an enabling environment for Eritrea to promote and protect the human rights of its people. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of China. I now give the floor back to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Mr. Mohammed Abdel Salam Babiker.

Thank you so much, Madam Chair. I would like to comment on what has been mentioned by Eritrea regarding that the mandate is actually imposed on Eritrea. The mandate is actually created by the Human Rights Council, and also other member states indicated that the imposition of the mandate, this is actually a matter to be resolved by member states with the Human Rights Council. The mandate actually was provided to me at the rapporteur to follow and implement certain benchmarks. And actually my report documented all human rights violations. And also regarding the issue of lack of access, Eritrea mentioned that there must be independent assessment of human rights violations, which are actually very widespread and systematic. And I documented this in my report. And also consistently, I provided the review with my report beforehand, before being published, for the right to comment on the report. But they never did that for the last five years, since I assumed my role as a mandate holder. And And also consistent letters, many letters sent to Eritrea to allow access. And in each report, I appeal for the government of Eritrea to grant access, or at least to engage. Even when I visit Geneva or New York, I call for the Eritrean government to meet, but they never meet, in order to discuss serious human rights violations committed by Eritrea. And I'm now actually I call for this Assembly to assist with regard to engagement and cooperation. But it has to be result-oriented. And I would like here to mention, to refer to the widespread violations. I would like, for example, to focus on, in particular, the issue of enforced disappearance of many, many Eritreans. and hundreds of Eritreans are actually disappeared, even since independence, since 1991, including religious leaders, community leaders. I documented this in my report. I meet many victims and many families who actually, even they don't know the whereabouts of their loved ones. And these are really, this issue needs to be resolved. And many journalists have actually disappeared for the last 25 years. and political opponents, their whereabouts are not known. A member State mentioned that the mandate is actually selective and politicised. I would like to refer to the fact that Eritrea is a country where you do not have political parties. We don't have even a constitution. We don't have even right to freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, and also religious freedoms. And there is no independent media. So here we are talking about fundamental human rights issues that are part of the United Nations Charter. And I believe that most member states here, including African countries, who are actually opposing the mandate, but many of these African countries are actually enjoying, some of them enjoying political right to participate in public life and affairs of their own countries. And also I'd like to comment in this aspect, all decisions issued by the African Commission on Human and People's Rights never implemented by Eritrea. These are actually on record. It's not biased, it's not political. So even the mandate created by African states were not respected. And this is why I really call on African countries to address these serious human rights violations. They are clear, they are factual. Regarding what has been mentioned by Ethiopia, regarding the mandate, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, it doesn't exceed my mandate, my mandate covers Eritrean nationals outside Eritrea. And this is, I have like a ratione personae mandate. And also as part of my coverage of my last, of my previous report regarding the conflict in Tigray, I focused on the presence of the Eritrean armed forces in Tigray and the level of violations committed inside Ethiopian territories. So actually my mandate covers Eritreans outside And also in many reports, I documented the violations, even related to asylum seekers, who are actually, there's a lot of policies adopted by countries in the region and also other countries. And actually, I made clearly my mind that they need to be protected. And here I'd like to note that the push factors for Eritreans to leave the country, I documented in my report, 18% have left the country because of the indefinite military service. And this is very appalling. It's like people, they leave the country because of these issues. Regarding transnational repression raised by the EU and Ireland, it's a new phenomena. This actually many Eritrean communities in the diaspora, including political opponents, journalists, and activists, were actually targeted. And this created a climate of fear among Eritrean communities abroad. And another I mentioned in my report, there is urgent actions need to be taken with regard to the protection of asylum seekers and refugees in these countries from a lot of acts of intimidation, harassment, and their rights need to be safeguarded. They have the right under their own laws, the EU countries, they have the right, these asylum seekers, they have the right to freedom of expression, they have the right to freedom of association, and they have the right to be protected. And I think there is a need to ensure that legal measures are actually in place in order to protect these communities. And also I would like to To comment on the question from Switzerland regarding selectivity of human rights application, as I mentioned in my report, Eritrea only cooperates with UPR process. And I commented this in my report. But at the same time, Eritrea, more than 230 recommendations provided by other members were not implemented. It is actually selective in terms of, in particular with regard to recommendation, with regard to freedom of expression, assembly, democratization, and also issues related to the national military service. Even economic and social and cultural rights, including, for example, the right to education, education completely dismantled by the system of national, indefinite national military service. Selectivity also in terms of like selective, as I said earlier, selective decisions taken by the African Commission, not implemented. Decision also taken by the United Nation Working Group on arbitrary detention with regard to journalists who are detained for more than 15 years. So this is selectivity in terms of selective application of human rights obligations. Finally, I would like to reiterate again, I would like to engage with the government of Eritrea, which is part of my mandate. I appeal to them for the fifth time since I started this mandate. And also, I would like to know that Eritrea even never cooperated with previous mandate holders for the last 10 years, never cooperated with the COI, with the Commission of Inquiry, never implemented all these recommendations, including recommendations with regard to commission of crimes against humanity. So I also call on member states to facilitate such kind of engagement, because the mandate, as I said earlier, provided by the Human Rights Council, and I think there is obligation for this mandate to be fulfilled. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea for his work. The Committee will continue its consideration on agenda item 71, promotion and protection of human rights, and its sub-items A to D, tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. sharp, to hear statements by special procedures mandate holders and other experts, and engage with them in an interactive dialogue. Information on the work of the Committee, including the schedule of meetings, is available on iGOV. The meeting is adjourned.