Thank you, Mr President.
I am honoured to present, on behalf of a core group of Albania, Ireland, Norway and the UK, this draft resolution on Advancing Human Rights in South Sudan, which proposes to extend the mandate of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan for a further year.
We do so against a deeply alarming backdrop in South Sudan, with increased fighting in many parts of the country, and the recent arrest of First Vice President, Riek Machar.
We call on President Kiir to reverse that action. And we urge South Sudan’s collective leadership to engage with regional efforts to de-escalate the situation, and work together to deliver the peaceful, just and prosperous future that South Sudan’s people deserve. A future that was set out in the 2018 Peace Agreement.
Mr President, it is clear that the Commission for Human Rights continues to play a critical role in delivering that future. The current events are a sobering reminder that the Commission’s monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation, and its support to accountability, remain as vital today as when it was first established by consensus in 2016.
Let me also use this opportunity to praise the efforts of others also working tirelessly to improve the human rights situation in South Sudan, including the Office of the High Commissioner, and the UN Mission in South Sudan, headed by Special Representative Nicholas Haysom.
Mr President,
We regret that we have been again unable to reach consensus with South Sudan, and reach a single, consolidated text.
However, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my colleague and friend, Ambassador Deng of South Sudan, for the ongoing, and constructive discussions that we have had, which have helped enrich this text. I would also like to welcome the continued cooperation by the government of South Sudan with the Commission in Juba.
Mr President,
We note, as in previous years, South Sudan’s call for enhanced technical assistance. We accordingly support draft resolution L.23 from the African Group.
Taken together, the two resolutions ensure a comprehensive and holistic approach to improving human rights, with technical assistance and capacity building continuing in addition to independent scrutiny of the human rights situation.
We therefore urge the Council to adopt this draft resolution and extend the mandate of the Commission, and to vote in favour of the text, should a vote be called.
