UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
MAINTAINS SUDAN ON ITS AGENDA
Paris - Geneva, 19th of June: The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its partner organisation, the Center for Justice and Democracy Studies, welcome the decision of the Human Rights Council to establish an independant expert on the situation in Sudan, but strongly regret the absence of consensus within the Council on such a grave situation.
On June 18, 2009, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution establishing an independent expert on Sudan by a difference of two votes. Despite attacks from Sudan against the continuation or the creation of any monitoring mechanism to address massive human rights violations in the country, a majority of Members States, including African States, have expressed their support for a mechanism which will play a crucial role as one of the last independent monitoring in Sudan.
« The situation in Sudan has significantly deteriorated in the past few months, especially since the crackdown on national Human Rights organisations and activists » said Julie Gromellon, FIDH Representative to the UN. « The absence of unanimity within the African group, and the adoption of this resolution supported by countries such as Zambia or Brazil has sent a clear signal to the Sudanese authorities that its total negation of the massive human rights violations committed is not acceptable » she added.
Press contact : Julie Gromellon, FIDH Representative to the UN, +41 79 331 24 50, jgromellon@fidh.org