Summary: EU Presidency Statement - Human Rights in Sudan (9 November 2005: New York)
EU Presidency Introductory Statement by the UK Mission to the UN, on behalf of the European Union, on the SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE SUDAN, UN General Assembly Third Committee, New York
Mr. Chairperson,
On behalf of the European Union and all co-sponsors (Albania, Australia, Canada, Liechtenstein, Romania, FYROM), I have the honour to introduce, under agenda item 71(c), the draft resolution entitled, "Situation of Human Rights in the Sudan," contained in the document A/C.3/60/L.47.
In addition, this resolution has also been co-sponsored by Croatia, Norway and Serbia and Montenegro.
Mr. Chairperson,
The EU continues to believe that the situation of human rights in the Sudan merits being addressed by the Third Committee of the General Assembly. The Commission on Human Rights addressed the issue earlier this year and appointed a Special Rapporteur who has reported orally to this Committee. Since the sixty-first session of the CHR, there have been important developments, including visits to Sudan by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Sudan, the Special Representative
of the Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons, and most recently the Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide.
The EU welcomes the significant developments that have taken place in Sudan over recent months, including the adoption of an Interim Constitution and progress made in implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in the wake of the tragic death of John Garang de Mabior. The EU also commends the cooperative spirit in which the Government of National Unity welcomed the Special Rapporteur and the Special Advisor.
The EU continues to pay tribute to the leadership role of the African Union in addressing the situation in Darfur and the crucial role it has played in Abuja. This role is fully reflected in the text of the resolution that is before you.
However, the EU continues to have grave concerns regarding the widespread violations of human rights and humanitarian law that persist in Darfur as well as continuing human rights violations throughout Sudan. Accordingly, this draft resolution calls upon both the Government of National Unity, as well as other parties to the conflict in Darfur, to end violations of human rights and the prevailing culture of impunity. The EU calls for full cooperation with the International Criminal Court and its
investigation.
Mr Chairperson,
We believe that the text before you addresses human rights and humanitarian issues in a comprehensive and balanced manner, while giving due attention to positive developments surrounding the formation of the Government of National Unity and the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Furthermore, we consider that the resolution builds on the relevant resolutions of the Security Council (1590, 1591, 1593).
The European Union is committed to working closely together with all interested delegations, in particular those of the African Union, to get this resolution adopted by the General Assembly. We believe it is important that the international community sends a strong signal that human rights violations cannot be tolerated and that the atrocities and prevailing culture of impunity in Darfur must be brought to an immediate end and we thus urge member states to support the resolution.
Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.
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