Date : 2020.09.15

IMADR delivered the oral statement on “High Commissioner’s update on country situations and the UN financial crisis” at the 45th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or download here.  .

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Oral Statement: 45th session of the Human Rights Council

Item 2: General Debate – Oral update by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

15 September 2020

Thank you Madam President,

We thank the High Commissioner for highlighting situations of migrants and minorities in her oral update such as the recent destruction of the Lesbos migrant camp in Greece and the EU Member States’ responses to migration, the excessive use of force by police officers against people of African-descent in the United States and the situation of the Uyghurs in China. We urge the States concerned to cooperate with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to address these concerns.

We join the High Commissioner’s call to the Human Rights Council to give renewed attention to Sri Lanka. It is regrettable to note the total disregard to the rule of law and the continuing denial of justice to the victims of the civil war that undermine accountability for gross violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. A proposed 20th amendment to the constitution is another blow to accountability as it is designed to strengthen the executive presidency and weaken the independence of the judiciary and independent commissions such as the National Police Commission and the Human Rights Commission.

It is imperative that the OHCHR and the UN human rights mechanisms, including the treaty bodies, exercise their mandates to maximum extent possible to address the human rights challenges laid out by the High Commissioner. Yet, we are gravely concerned by the inability to discharge many of their mandates due to the UN liquidity crisis, restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the limited solutions made available so far. We urge Member States to provide adequate resources and support to the OHCHR so that the UN human rights system continues to be responsive to rights-holders.

Thank you.