PRESS RELEASE : Sudan Special Session 36 – Intro statement by UK [May 2023]

Dear colleagues, on behalf of the Core Group comprising Germany, Norway, the United States and the United Kingdom, I have the honour to introduce draft resolution S-36 L1 as orally revised, which has been tabled with the Secretariat and is available to all on e-delegate.

During today’s session we have heard the High Commissioner for Human Rights speak of the parties “trampling international humanitarian law” and of the need for human rights and accountability to lie at the core of any future political agreement between the parties to the conflict in Sudan.

We have listened to states from all regions call for an immediate end to violence and for the respect of the rights of people in Sudan.

And we have been informed, in the clearest possible terms, by civil society colleagues about the scale of violations and abuses which have already occurred in Sudan and heard their calls that this Council must act now – today – to prevent a catastrophe from spiralling further out of control.

Mr President, I think our first thoughts are with the people of Sudan, the victims of this unnecessary conflict. We must show them that the Council stands with them.

The purpose of the draft resolution before us is to offer a proportionate, timely response by this Council to the crisis in Sudan. It seeks to reflect the alarming deterioration in Sudan since 15 April, to express this Council’s concern, and to build on the existing tools that we have already established to ensure that the situation in Sudan receives the attention it requires.

In 2021 this Council created a new type of mandate – an expert designated by the UN High Commissioner to help improve human rights in the country. We are grateful for the work done first by Mr Dieng and more recently by Mr Nouicer.

But we must recognise that the tragic situation which has unfolded since 15 April is a very different one to the one that prevailed prior to that.

It is therefore only appropriate that we look to increase the capacity for the Expert to do his crucial work. To do otherwise would be to ignore the reality of what has been, and is still, taking place in the Sudan.

Mr President, dear colleagues, we have sought to engage all colleagues in an open and transparent manner on this draft text. We wish to thank all those delegations who have provided comments. We have made revisions to the text, reflected in the draft resolution now before us, in order to try and accommodate the views of as many delegations as possible.

We therefore call on the members of this Council to adopt this draft resolution, as orally revised, without a vote. Should a vote be called, we invite our fellow members of this Council to vote in favour of the draft resolution.

Thank you.