YouSaid · the spoken record

Al-Hussein

lines on the record: 193
first: 2000-10-04
most recent: 2017-12-11
sittings or episodes: 23
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Above all, every effort must be made to ensure that the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea makes urgently needed changes to the country's laws and policies in order to enable greater freedom and access to fundamental services and goods. My Office is implementing Human Rights Council resolution 34/24, following recommendations by the Group of Independent Experts on Accountability pursuant to Human Rights Council Resolution 31/18 on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, who urged us to strengthen monitoring efforts by recruiting criminal law experts and establishing a repository of cases to be used in future prosecutions.”
2017-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8130 (2017) · source
“The humanitarian assistance provided by United Nations agencies and others is literally a lifeline for some 13 million acutely vulnerable individuals. However, sanctions may be adversely affecting that essential help. For example, controls over international banking transfers have caused a slowdown in United Nations ground operations, affecting the delivery of food rations, health kits and other humanitarian aid. I would like to ask Council members to conduct an assessment of the human rights impact of sanctions and see that action be taken to minimize their adverse humanitarian consequences.”
2017-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8130 (2017) · source
“The people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea also face severe violations of their economic, social and cultural rights. They continue to endure chronic food insecurity, due in part to the diversion of resources to military objectives, as well as to laws and practices that make access to basic rights conditional on perceived loyalty to the Government. A failing public distribution system and pervasive corruption in the delivery of public services are forcing people to look for alternative ways to secure access to basic economic and social rights. Even very poor people must frequently pay hefty bribes to enable their children to pursue primary or higher education, engage in private business, register as overseas workers or access health care.”
2017-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8130 (2017) · source
“The case of Otto Warmbier, an American student who had been sentenced to 15 years in prison in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and who was returned to the United States earlier this year in a coma with extensive loss of brain tissue, is suggestive of the severe violations endured by persons deprived of their liberty in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Three other United States nationals and six nationals of the Republic of Korea are currently detained in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and denied access to their families or any outside help. No progress has been made regarding cases of the international abduction or enforced disappearance of foreign nationals. Efforts to locate 12 Japanese nationals and 516 nationals of the Republic of Korea have also been hampered by the deteriorating security situation.”
2017-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8130 (2017) · source
“Repatriated escapees are routinely subjected to multiple forms of torture and ill-treatment, including beatings, forced labour, deprivation of food and health care, and sexual violence, at detention centres located on the border with China. Women have told my staff that following their forced return, officials also subjected them to invasive body searches, using methods that may amount to rape under international law. My Office continues to receive reports ofpeople crossing the border carrying poison in case they are caught. In July, a family of five reportedly committed collective suicide as they were about to be taken to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea border for repatriation. Anyone found to have attempted to escape to the Republic of Korea or to contact people there also receives particularly harsh treatment.”
2017-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8130 (2017) · source
“A number of escapees are sent back to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, despite the fact that monitoring by my Office indicates that anyone who leaves the Democratic People's Republic of Korea without authorization will face persecution if returned. Over the past year, OHCHR has received more than 70 reports of women, men and children who escaped to China only to be sent back to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea after the authorities found them to be economic migrants, notwithstanding the overwhelming evidence of human rights violations taking place in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.”
2017-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8130 (2017) · source
“My Office continues to receive reports of new physical barriers being erected along the border. Increased surveillance by the authorities also makes escape more difficult. People who attempt to leave the Democratic People's Republic of Korea without authorization do so at great risk to their lives. It is now almost impossible to cross the border without engaging a broker or trafficker. Women, who make up the majority of those who manage to escape the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, are frequently forced by traffickers into sexual exploitation, forced marriage or cheap bonded labour.”
2017-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8130 (2017) · source
“People held in such camps have told my staff of being beaten by prison guards or other inmates and being fed so little they barely survived. Moreover, while it has been possible to gather some information on the situation in regular prison facilities and labour camps, there is absolute secrecy when it comes to people detained in the five political prison camps that are also reportedly operational. The interviews of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) with people who have left the Democratic People's Republic of Korea indicate that fear of being sent to those camps is a powerful instrument of control. In recent months, military tensions have led to more severe controls over freedom of movement and civil and political rights.”
2017-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8130 (2017) · source
“However, escapees have reported to us extremely widespread violations of rights in almost every aspect of people's lives. I will begin with the horrific conditions in the country's large network of prisons and labour camps. Testimonies collected by my Office indicate that torture is widespread in detention centres overseen by the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of People's Security, where it is used to extract information or confessions from people suspected of planning to leave the country, communicating with the outside world by using foreign telecommunications networks or engaging in smuggling activities. Detainees work in mines or infrastructure projects in conditions of severe deprivation.”
2017-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8130 (2017) · source
“Mr. Al-Hussein: This is the fourth briefing to the Council by my Office in as many years on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and I regret that it is impossible for me to point to any significant improvement in the human rights situation. The international security crisis regarding the actions taken by the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ought not to negate our deep concerns about the human rights situation of ordinary people in the country. Security tensions seem to have deepened the extremely serious human rights violations endured by the 25 million people in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Our picture of the situation is necessarily incomplete, given my staff's lack of access to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.”
2017-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8130 (2017) · source
“There must be an end to disappearances, arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings and torture, and there must be clear and public moves to hold perpetrators to account, including agents of the State and members of armed groups associated with the ruling party. Such steps are vital to restoring public confidence and to placing Burundi on the path towards development, security, and respect for human rights.”
2016-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7652 (2016) · source
“I note that the European Union (EU), which is Burundi's largest aid donor, announced earlier this week that it would no longer issue funds through or to the Government. That action was taken in line with article 96 of the EU-African, Caribbean and Pacific trade agreement, which calls for the suspension of development cooperation when essential elements, such as respect for human rights and the rule of law, are violated. The Council has clearly recognized the urgency of the situation in Burundi. I encourage it to continue to work to persuade the Government to take significant steps towards real reconciliation and inclusive national dialogue. Half-measures will not heal the wounds that Burundi's people have suffered.”
2016-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7652 (2016) · source
“Continued human rights violations and impunity for perpetrators mean that many of Burundi's people live in terror. The country remains on the brink of a sudden escalation of violence of even more massive proportions. We have already seen hundreds of people killed, thousands detained and over a quarter ofa million Burundians fleeing to neighbouring countries. The crisis has devastated Burundi's economy, compounding the human rights violations suffered by the people, and UNICEF reports that the number of children admitted for severe acute malnutrition in Bujumbura has doubled between October and December 2015. The crisis has also created a major humanitarian emergency and contributes to destabilizing the Great Lakes region, with major implications for regional peace and security.”
2016-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7652 (2016) · source
“Last month, Medecins sans Frontieres treated more than 115 people who had been wounded by grenades over the course ofjust four days. I am very deeply concerned by the lack ofprogress in investigating the multiple serious human rights violations that have been reported over the past year. I take note of the recently released report of the commission of inquiry set up by the Ministry of Justice and led by the Prosecutor-General to investigate allegations of extrajudicial killings during the events of 11 December 2015. However, I urge further and much more credible investigations into the alleged multiple mass graves in the country, the torture, sexual violence and killings that were reported in December and many other serious allegations.”
2016-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7652 (2016) · source
“Civil society continues to operate within an extremely limited space, with activists suffering judicial harassment, arrests and torture, as well as violence and intimidation by agents of the State or militia associated with the Government. Since the violent events of December - involving an armed attack against three military camps around Bujumba, followed by reports of particularly brutal crackdowns by security forces in a number of neighbourhoods - two separate armed groups opposed to the Government have emerged. Two members of the ruling party, the Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie-Forces pour la defense de la democratie, were killed by gunmen on Monday. Grenade attacks are an almost daily occurrence, with grenades being thrown at police or military targets or indiscriminately tossed into crowds of people.”
2016-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7652 (2016) · source
“During a recent visit by my staff to some detention centres in Bujumbura, it appeared that almost half of the detainees had been tortured or ill-treated - some of them seriously. Despite the recent initial steps towards allowing the operation ofa few independent media outlets, critical or independent voices remain severely restricted. Political opponents continue to be subjected to intimidation and arrest. Six days ago, 16 leading members of the opposition party, the Forces nationales de liberation, were arrested in Kirundo province by police assisted by Imbonerakure militia members associated with the ruling party. On 9 March, Hugo Haramategeko, one of the few national opposition figures remaining in the country, also was arrested.”
2016-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7652 (2016) · source
“The experts met with military, police and intelligence officials, in addition to victims and several representatives of civil society. The secretariat of the independent expert team is due to arrive in April for a four-month deployment, but the Government's approval is still pending. It is crucial that the investigative team be permitted to operate. Despite indications of limited progress in some areas, serious human rights violations continue. My Office, which has presences in Bujumbura, Gitega, Makamba and Ngozi, has detected no indication of any decline in reports of arbitrary arrests and detention. Indeed, 140 such cases have been recorded this month so far, most of which were arbitrary. Moreover, although the numbers are clearly imprecise, we have seen increased reports of torture and ill-treatment since the beginning of January.”
2016-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7652 (2016) · source
“Those 47 were on the list of 125 detainees suggested by my Office for immediate release. We see that as an indication that some effort is being made to re-establish the rule of law. I strongly urge the release of all ofthe others on the list, especially political prisoners. As just mentioned by the Secretary- General, the Government has further pledged to release approximately 2,000 prisoners. The Government has also taken steps to ensure that one fully independent radio station can operate. A second radio station, which has also reopened, is not independent from the Government. That gesture is encouraging, but falls well short of full freedom of expression and information. The Government cooperated with the team of independent experts mandated by the Human Rights Council during its first visit to Burundi earlier this month.”
2016-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7652 (2016) · source
“Mr. Al Hussein: I thank those present for this opportunity to discuss my continuing and grave concerns regarding the human rights situation in Burundi. Despite some positive signals by the Government in recent weeks following visits by a delegation from the Council, by the Secretary-General and by five African Heads of State and Government, as well as two visits by the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Mr. Ivan Simonovie, and the most recent visit of independent experts at the request of the Human Rights Council, those signals have yet to be followed up with strong and consequential action aimed at engaging real reconciliation. After a court hearing of their case, 47 detainees who had been arrested almost a year ago were been provisionally freed this week.”
2016-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7652 (2016) · source
“Finally, in the light of the enormity of the crisis, it is imperative that the relevant stakeholders put aside their political and ideological differences in order to achieve our common goal of re-establishing some measure of security and stability in Yemen.”
2015-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7596 (2015) · source
“Any military solution that falls outside the context of a negotiated agreement may in the short term bring about an immediate strategic advantage to one side or another, but it will inevitably render Yemen and its neighbours less stable and less secure over the long term. A failure to act decisively not only spells misery for the millions of vulnerable people in Yemen today, but will inevitably push the country into an irreversible process of Balkanization, the consequences of which would lie outside anyone's control. The potential ramifications of a failed State in Yemen would almost inevitably include the creation of safe havens for radical and confessional groups such as the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham. That, in turn, could expand the conflict beyond Yemen's borders, potentially shattering regional stability.”
2015-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7596 (2015) · source
“I further call on the Security Council to do everything within its power to help restrain the use of force by all parties and to urge all sides to abide by the basic principles of international humanitarian law, including by immediately removing all impediments to humanitarian assistance and fully cooperating with the humanitarian response team. Unless Yemen and the world urgently rise to meet the extraordinary challenges presented by the situation, the consequences could be even more catastrophic. To that end, I urgently call on the Council to expedite and intensify diplomatic efforts to bring about a ceasefire and to help create a framework for negotiating a comprehensive and sustainable peace in Yemen.”
2015-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7596 (2015) · source
“My Office will continue to document credible allegations of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the context of Yemen, and will continue to call upon all parties involved to abide by, and commit themselves to, the protection of civilians and to hold to account those responsible for serious violations ofinternational law. In that regard, I also strongly encourage the Government of Yemen to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, or at least to urgently accept its jurisdiction.”
2015-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7596 (2015) · source
“The recruitment and deployment of new staff members to support follow-up to that Human Rights Council resolution are currently pending approval by the Fifth Committee. I have observed with extreme concern the continuation of heavy shelling from the ground and the air in areas with a high concentration of civilians, as well as the continued destruction of civilian infrastructure - in particular hospitals and schools - by all parties to the conflict, although a disproportionate share appeared to be the result of air strikes carried out by coalition forces.”
2015-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7596 (2015) · source
“The report also presents the Human Rights Council with a number of recommendations, chief among which is a call for an international investigation into credible allegations of violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as a call for accountability for the perpetrators of such crimes. The Government of Yemen earlier announced its intention to create a national commission of investigation, which I welcomed. The Human Rights Council subsequently adopted resolution 30/18, which calls on my Office to provide technical assistance to a national commission of inquiry and to report to the Council on the situation of human rights in Yemen at its thirty-third session.”
2015-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7596 (2015) · source
“My Office has also documented dozens of cases of alleged illegal detention, primarily at the hands of the popular committees. Sadly, it is children who are bearing the brunt of the conflict in Yemen. There has been a steady increase in the number of children killed and injured. This year alone, more than 600 children have been killed, and over 900 have suffered serious injury. That represents a five-fold increase over the figures for 2014. In September, I presented a report on the situation of human rights in Yemen to the thirtieth session of the Human Rights Council. The report addresses credible allegations of violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as gathered by my Office.”
2015-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7596 (2015) · source
“At least 21 million people - 80 per cent of the population - currently rely on some measure of humanitarian assistance, while approximately half the population is suffering from malnutrition. Furthermore, the findings of my Office indicate a continued intensification of existing patterns of violations, including, inter alia, the violation of the right to life and the destruction of civilian objects and infrastructure, as well as illegal detentions, committed by all parties to the conflict. As the violence continues to intensify, the number of civilian casualties across the country continues to increase. According to information gathered by my Office in Yemen, over 2,700 civilians have been killed and more than 5,300 have beeb injured since the start of the conflict.”
2015-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7596 (2015) · source
“Mr. Al Hussein: I thank you, Madam President, for allowing me this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the latest developments in Yemen. I am encouraged by the recent efforts by the parties to the conflict, supported by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, aimed at reaching a peaceful solution. The earlier intensification of the conflict in Yemen led to a dramatic increase in the number of civilian casualties and aggravated the already dire humanitarian situation. It also continues to undermine prospects for peace. The conditions of life have become untenable for the vast majority of people in Yemen. The combined impact of the violence and the artificial impediments to the delivery of humanitarian assistance have proved disastrous.”
2015-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7596 (2015) · source
“The continuing violations and systemic failings simply heighten international anxieties over the possibility of a precipitous turn, an event of great centrifugal consequence that could rapidly engulf the region. As we have stated time and again, if the international community is serious about reducing tensions in the region, more must be done collectively to ensure respect for human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Addressing the chronic human rights situations in that country is urgent and long overdue.”
2015-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7575 (2015) · source
“My Office has continued to engage with the authorities on possible technical cooperation, with the goal of assisting them to address the prevailing human rights challenges and, ultimately, to trigger positive change in the lives of all people in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. There are signs that the Government is making some tentative efforts to engage in the international arena. In this context, I very much welcome the invitation extended to me by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to visit the country. My Office is now engaged with the authorities to explore modalities for a possible future visit.”
2015-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7575 (2015) · source
“On 21 September, OHCHR organized consultations on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, including on the issue of international abductions, enforced disappearances and related matters. This was followed up by a visit to Japan by my Seoul team. Once again this year, the General Assembly may well call on the Security Council to take action by referring the situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the International Criminal Court, which I believe to be essential, given the scale and extreme gravity of the allegations. Any call for accountability must, however, go hand in hand with an open dialogue with the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, encouraging it towards reform and urging it to accept assistance.”
2015-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7575 (2015) · source
“The very few who were selected for previous reunions have to live with the psychological impact of a one-off meeting, with no possibility of maintaining contact. I hope that the commitment and collaboration shown by both sides through the most recent reunions will continue. The matter of international abductions remains a cause for very grave concern. While the establishment of a special investigation committee in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on this issue, following bilateral talks between Japan and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in May 2014, was a positive development, no information has been provided since then on the results emanating from its work. Equally, the fate of hundreds of victims of abduction from the Republic of Korea must be established.”
2015-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7575 (2015) · source
“Recent restrictions on movement across the border with China, often used by women engaging in private trade, are also said to have had a strong negative impact on women, restricting their ability to provide for their families, increasing vulnerability to trafficking for those seeking to leave, and augmenting the risk of detention and ill- treatment for those who try to cross the border or are repatriated. The family reunions that took place in October were a welcome development, and such reunions should be regularized. Today, on the occasion of Human Rights Day, my Office in Seoul is organizing a workshop on the human rights implications of the separation of Korean families, which affects more than 130,000 individuals. Most have reached an advanced age and are longing to be reunited with their loved ones.”
2015-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7575 (2015) · source
“Given the social inequalities within the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the vulnerability of those lacking adequate cash income remains worrisome. Thirdly, as in many other countries, women in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are subject to gender-based violence and discrimination. Their suffering appears to be exacerbated by a lack of awareness that such violence is unacceptable and by the absence of appropriate support mechanisms.”
2015-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7575 (2015) · source
“Three types of allegations have emerged from OHCHR's recent monitoring and documentation efforts. First, victims and witnesses have spoken of the severe treatment of detainees in political prison camps and in other detention locations, especially at the early stages of criminal proceedings. Detainees have no access to independent lawyers and, we have been told, endure inhuman detention conditions, as well as torture during interrogation, adding weight to the findings of the commission of inquiry. Secondly, food insecurity is an ongoing concern. While food availability may have improved relative to past periods of massive starvation, the systemic failure of the public distribution system has not been addressed.”
2015-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7575 (2015) · source
“The Office has begun collecting testimonies from individuals who have left the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, documenting developments in the human rights situation and deepening the evidentiary basis for the accountability that surely is owed to the victims and deserved by the alleged perpetrators. During my visit, I met with a number of defectors, men and women, and their personal experiences were indeed extraordinarily harrowing. I must also mention my concern over the threats issued by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea authorities and media against the OHCHR Office in Seoul when it was first established. I reiterate that it is wholly unacceptable for a Member State to issue threats like that against a United Nations office and its staff, and I hope it will not reoccur.”
2015-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7575 (2015) · source
“Over the past year, my Office began implementing the recommendations of the commission of inquiry, which concluded that "the gravity, scale and nature of [the human rights] violations reveal a State that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world" (A/HRC/25/63, para.80) and stated unequivocally that a wide range of crimes against humanity had been committed. Their recommendations included the establishment of a presence by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); I inaugurated that Office in Seoul in June, and it is now fully operational, in accordance with its mandate.”
2015-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7575 (2015) · source
“The independent international commission of inquiry established by the Human Rights Council described in graphic detail the appalling nature of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's political prison-camp system, where people, including children, have been deliberately starved, made to carry out forced labour, subjected to extrajudicial killings and summary executions, tortured and raped. The commission of inquiry stated that hundreds of thousands of people have died in these camps over several decades and that they are still believed to contain between 80,000 and 120,000 prisoners.”
2015-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7575 (2015) · source
“It is appropriate that today's discussion falls on Human Rights Day, which this year focuses on "our rights, our freedoms, always". Millions of people in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea continue to be denied their basic rights and freedoms. They are not allowed to move freely within and outside their country or to speak out about injustices. They are not allowed to follow their faith. They are denied access to information not sanctioned by the regime and the right to form organizations that can, in any way, be seen to be critical of the Government.”
2015-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7575 (2015) · source
“Mr. A] Hussein: I welcome this invitation of the Security Council to provide a briefing on the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, where gross violations continue, the institutional nature and severity of which pose a threat to international peace and security. The abduction of foreign nationals, the enforced disappearances, the trafficking and continued movement of refugees and asylum-seekers make this point clearly. These, in addition to a litany of other gross human rights violations, have still not been halted or reversed by the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Victims are still unable to find judicial redress, and there is still no accountability grounded in the work of an independent judiciary.”
2015-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7575 (2015) · source
“It is also vital that all opinion leaders realize that speech that incites violence must be avoided at all cost. What is needed is leadership and strong voices calling for restraint, accountability and real reconciliation. The current crisis has already undone much of Burundi's recent political, economic and social progress. The international community, in particular the Council, contributed significantly to those gains. But their main driver was public confidence in the stability and safety of the country. The Government must urgently take public and concrete steps to restore such confidence, which is essential to preventing recourse to violence and to returning Burundi to the path of peace, national harmony and development.”
2015-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7553 (2015) · source
“It is essential that an all-inclusive dialogue take place among all stakeholders in Burundi in accordance with the Arusha Agreement, which put an end to 12 years of massacres and warfare. The dialogue should be led in coordination with the mediation process. The urgent disarming of the Imbonerakure militia and all those who illegally possess arms must figure high on the agenda. Against the longstanding claims by the Government that armed militias do not exist within the Imbonerakure, there is indisputable evidence to the contrary. If the Government has any hope of reining in the violence, it needs to begin by disarming the Imbonerakure and ensuring that police and the national intelligence service members who have been responsible for human rights violations are brought to book.”
2015-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7553 (2015) · source
“The Council may also wish to consider involving Chapter VII ofthe Charter ofthe United Nations to stop the ongoing violence and prevent a regional conflict. The Government of Burundi should be apprised of the very serious consequences that will ensue ifit fails in its duty to protect all Burundians regardless of their political opinions or other affiliations. I also ask the Council and all Member States to give financial and political support to the efforts of the African Union to conduct human rights investigations in Burundi and to assist the cause of peace. My Office will be discussing how best to provide our support to the African Commission investigation this week.”
2015-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7553 (2015) · source
“I urge the Burundi Government to sign a memorandum of understanding with the African Union for its human rights observers to operate in Burundi, as well as to allow the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to do its work and make its report public as soon as possible. Moreover, although the efforts of Burundi's neighbours and regional partners will be essential, I also believe it is the responsibility of the Security Council to address a situation of profound concern, well known for many months, and which could lead to even greater carnage. I appeal to the Council to keep Burundi at the top of its agenda and to explore all possible options to prevent further violence, including steps to freeze the assets of those who would incite or who incite or engage in violence, and possible travel bans.”
2015-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7553 (2015) · source
“I believe that the strong interventions of many officials and States in recent days may have great influence. I urge neighbouring countries in the Great Lakes region to step up their attempts to promote a credible and inclusive political dialogue in Burundi and to ensure that border areas and refugee camps in their respective national territories are not used by any actors to fuel the conflict. I welcome the investigation to be carried out in Burundi by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, as well as the African Union's efforts to address impunity by placing 100 human rights observers on the ground. It is essential that the international community is able to respond swiftly and decisively if events deteriorate further.”
2015-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7553 (2015) · source
“The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court recently, and rightly, reaffirmed that anyone who incited or engaged in acts of mass violence in Burundi may be subject to prosecution by her Office. I strongly support her statement. The crisis in Burundi has been escalating for many months. The resulting loss of life, economic collapse, increasing hunger and mass displacement do not only threaten peace and stability in the country, but also across the region. The individuals responsible, regardless of rank, position or political affiliation, must be held to account. All possible influence must be brought to bear to halt what may be an imminent catastrophe. None of us can forget the waves of killings that generated such horrific loss of life and mass displacement in the region two decades ago.”
2015-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7553 (2015) · source
“Earlier today, one policeman and four civilians were reportedly killed in the Musaga neighbourhood of Bujumbura. Recent inflammatory remarks by members of the Government have suggested that this crisis, which has involved targeting people for their perceived political affiliations, could increasingly taken on an ethnic dimension. The President of the Senate recently ordered local authorities to identify, "elements which are not in order", and to report them to the police to be dealt with. He also called on the police to get ready to "finish the work". Phrases such as those recall language that this region has heard before and should not be hearing again. They could signal the imminence of much worse and more widespread violence.”
2015-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7553 (2015) · source
“However, I regret to report that to date it has fallen short of the truly inclusive discussion that would effectively put the country back on a path to peace. Repeated killings of opposition leaders and human rights defenders and their families sharply undermine the Government's verbal commitments to reconciliation, as do recent requests for the arrests of members of the opposition and human rights defenders in exile in Europe and a tone of intense hostility in public statements. Lastweek,aswejustheardfromtheUnder-Secretary- General for Political Affairs, President Nkurunziza set an ultimatum for Burundians to hand in all weapons, warning that those who would not do so would be dealt with as enemies of the nation. That ultimatum has led many Burundians to flee their neighbourhoods for fear of police sweeps and crackdowns.”
2015-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7553 (2015) · source
“Fear of the violence and the spectre of more bloodshed are driving ordinary Burundians out of their homes. There are now well over 280,000 internally displaced persons and refugees across the Great Lakes region. To make matters worse, it is reported that armed groups are recruiting in some refugee camps in neighbouring countries and that agents of the Burundi Government are also present to identify opponents. Those and other signs of a suddenly escalating regionalization of the crisis lead me to emphasize that host countries must ensure that the camps are duly protected and remain civilian in nature. President Nkurunziza announced the opening of a process of national dialogue in September.”
2015-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7553 (2015) · source
“Mbonimpa was himself badly wounded. His son-in-law, another human rights defender, was killed last month. Many credible allegations of torture have been documented, notably at a locality in Bujumbura run by the national intelligence service. Violations have also been reported on the part of the national police and by the heavily armed police unit that was created in September "to fight against acts of terrorism". The Imbonerakure militia, associated with the ruling party, continues to terrorize the population, sometimes in collaboration with the police, and perpetrates human rights abuses with total impunity. Specific neighbourhoods have been locked down by police, with reports of gun battles. Unidentified, but apparently well armed and organized, individuals opposed to the Government are also committing killings.”
2015-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7553 (2015) · source