UN rights council sets up Darfur monitoring group
March 30, 2007 (GENEVA) — The United Nations Human Rights Council today agreed to set up a group of independent rights experts to work with the Sudanese Government and the African Union (AU) to monitor the situation on the ground in the war-torn Darfur region.
In a resolution adopted by consensus, the 47-member Council voiced “deep concern regarding the seriousness of the ongoing violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Darfur,” citing armed attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers, the widespread destruction of villages and the lack of accountability for the perpetrators of gender-based violence against women and girls.
Calling on all sides to the conflict to end the violence, especially against civilians and humanitarian workers, the Council voiced regret that its recent five-member High-Level Mission led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jody Williams could not visit Darfur.
The resolution backs the establishment of a new group to be presided over by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Sudan, Sima Samar. The group will work with Sudan and the AU to ensure that all resolutions and recommendations on Darfur by UN human rights institutions – including the Council – are implemented and followed up.
The other members of the group are: the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for children and armed conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy; the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston; the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on the situation of human rights defenders, Hina Jilani; the Secretary-General’s Representative on human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), Walter Kälin; the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture, Manfred Nowak; and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Yakin Ertürk.
The resolution was adopted amid mounting international concern at the situation inside Darfur, where at least 200,000 have been killed and 2 million others forced from their homes since rebel groups took up arms against Government forces and allied Janjaweed militias in 2003.
The Darfur resolution was one of seven adopted, as well as two decisions, on the last day of the Council’s fourth session, held at its headquarters in Geneva.
A BLOW TO SUDAN
European and African countries joined forces in the UN Human Rights Council on Friday to maintain pressure on Sudan over a UN report that accused Khartoum of orchestrating war crimes in Darfur.
The agreement between the European and African nations was a blow to Sudan, which had sought to block any discussion of Williams’ report alleging “bias”.
Khartoum ultimately failed in its bid after intensive diplomatic wrangling by Western powers prised some of the 13 African council members away from the previous position of solidarity with Sudan.
Which ones changed position remains unclear as the resolution was adopted without a vote.
The council passed a resolution that took “note” of a high level report by Nobel laureate Jody Williams and agreed to set up a new working group that would monitor events in Darfur.
Williams’ report, released earlier this month, found that Sudan’s government had “orchestrated and participated in” war crimes and human rights abuses such as rape and torture across the strife-torn region.
Algerian ambassador Idriss Jazairy, speaking on behalf of the African group of countries, said: “We are all united in expressing concern at the seriousness of the human rights situation in Darfur and deeply care for the victims of this crisis.”
The decision “will also enhance the moral authority of the council beyond Darfur and hopefully will restore confidence amongst its members as we finalise the institutional architecture of this new body,” he added.
Germany’s ambassador to the UN, Michael Steiner, speaking on behalf of the EU, called the decision a success for the EU, for Africa, and for the new Human Rights Council.
“We hope very much that this will be also a success for the people in Darfur,” he added.
The human rights group Amnesty International welcomed the Council’s decision but said it was weak as it failed to denounce the Sudanese government directly.
“This resolution potentially marks a major turning point for the Human Rights Councils attention to Darfur. The Sudanese government can no longer be assured of the support of its regional neighbours,” Amnesty’s delegate Peter Splinter said.
“It is now going to have to accept that fewer and fewer are prepared to tolerate its systematic failure to protect the rights of the people of Darfur,” he added in a statement.
A senior EU official conceded that the wording was not as strong as the European side would have liked, but was the best possible outcome given the compromises required.
Williams’ report had urged the international community to adopt a “fully unified approach” over Darfur, and called on it to implement measures such as travel bans and the freezing of assets for those identified as rights violators.
The Council, which replaced the discredited Commission on Human Rights last year, also decided to request Ms. Arbour to consult States, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others on ways to enhance international cooperation in the UN human rights machinery, and to ask Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to seek the views of all States on the issue of human rights and unilateral coercive measures.
(UN/Agencies)