Ahead of the UN Human Rights Council’s 54th session (HRC54, 11 September-13 October 2023), dozens of Burundian, African, and international NGOs call on the Council to adopt a new resolution on Burundi.

“As serious human rights violations persist in Burundi and the government has failed to hold perpetrators accountable or take the concerns raised by Burundian and international actors seriously,” signatories write, “the Council should not relax its scrutiny.”

The signatories urge the Council to extend the Special Rapporteur’s mandate for a further year. Additionally, they call on the Council to ensure that the Special Rapporteur is able to fulfil his mandate, including all monitoring and documentation functions. This means additional funding for the mandate.

The letter outlines a range of past and ongoing human rights issues. It highlights the absence of reforms and accountability for grave human rights violations and abuses committed since 2015.

It also raises concern over Burundi’s lack of meaningful cooperation with international and African human rights bodies and mechanisms. This behaviour is all the more worrying as Burundi is a candidate for a new three-year membership term in the Council (2024-2026), after a first term (2016-2018) during which the Government failed to uphold membership standards.

Read the full letter in English.
Disponible également : version française.