Mr. President, Mr. High Commissioner, Stakeholders,
Dear Members of the Fact-Fin­ding Mission,

We thank you for your report. As expected, it details a litany of vio­lations and abuses, some of which may amount to crimes under international law. 

The “enhanced” format of this interactive dialogue is a small but necessary step for the inter­na­tional community to re-prioritise the Sudan crisis — which so far has received only a fraction of the attention it deserves. 

Last October, the FFM’s establishment was the first ray of hope for millions of victims. Since then, in light of the situation in the country and of the UN’s liquidity crisis, 80 NGOs urged states to extend the FFM’s mandate, and DefendDefenders stressed that failing to do so would be “more than a mis­ta­ke: it would be an unforgivable dereliction of duty.” 

Mr. President,

Two weeks ago, together with Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, we released a Ques­tion & Answer document that addresses key issues related to the FFM. The document shows why the FFM is uniquely placed to advance both the moral dimension of accountability (through exposure, public reporting, and as regards truth and remembrance) and its criminal dimen­sion.

The FFM’s collection and preservation of evidence functions and its ability to identify those respon­si­ble mean that it is our best collective hope to break impunity, which is at the heart of the current crisis and of cycles of violence in Sudan.

States must act now.

Thank you for your attention.

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Mr. President, Mr. High Commissioner,

As this Council completes its 18^th cycle, the picture for human rights around the world is grim. In many places, illiberal forces seek to silence critical voices, under­mine free exp­res­sion and intel­lec­tual inquiry, and restrict the space citizens and civil society have to express themselves, protest, and asso­ciate free from undue interference.

Civic space is under attack in Africa. Restrictive laws and policies and abusive prac­tices have a di­rect consequence: human rights defenders (HRDs), lawyers, journalists and other indepen­dent ac­tors are at risk, particularly as, in several coun­tries, elections approach. 

Mr. High Commissioner, we call on you to enhance your Office’s civic space-related work, including to identify early warning signs of crises. 

Mr. President,

We reiterate our concerns over the Sahel, in particular Mali and Burkina Faso, and over unconsti­tu­tional changes of government across the continent.

In Ethiopia, inc­rea­sed pressure over HRDs, including in relation to their engagement with UN mecha­nisms, could be further compounded by plans, recently an­nounced by the Prime Minister, to back­track­ on the 2019 CSO Proclamation.

In Kenya, we are concer­ned over impunity for violence against protesters, including in relation to un­rest following the introduction of a tax bill, earlier this year. This is not the first episode where the right to peaceful assembly is severely violated. We call for impartial and thorough investigations into these incidents, as well as cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. 

Lastly, Mr. President, closed slates undermine HRC elections. For the Africa Group, this means that competition based on human rights criteria is eliminated and states that are unfit for membership get elected.

The Human Rights Council deserves better. Africa deserves better. Africans deserve better.

Thank you for your attention.

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