HRC61 - EU General Comment - Item 10/ L.31
UN Human Rights Council
61st Session – Item 10
Resolution L.31 – General Comment
Technical assistance and capacity-building for Mali in the field of human rights
EU General Comment
Mr. President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU Member States that are members of the Council. This general comment has been agreed by the EU as a whole.
We thank the African group for presenting this resolution. The European Union strongly supports the renewal of the mandate of the Independent Expert on the human rights situation in Mali.
The Independent Expert not only plays a crucial role in assisting the Malian authorities and others in the promotion, protection and implementation of human rights, but also in the monitoring of violations and abuses of these rights and bringing them to the attention of the wider international community. This is particularly relevant now, given the shrinking of civic space in Mali, that makes it harder for journalists, human rights defenders, civil society and ordinary civilians to document and speak out on alleged human rights violations and abuses.
In this context, we are concerned about the reported lack of cooperation the Independent Expert received from the Malian authorities. The resolution explicitly calls on all parties in Mali to cooperate fully with the Independent Expert and to assist him in the fulfilment of his mandate. We hope that the adoption by consensus today would lead to a more constructive engagement in the future.
Furthermore, while acknowledging the extremely worrying context in which violent extremist groups terrorize the Malian population, the EU is deeply worried about the democratic backsliding in Mali. The decision to dissolve all political parties, the unconstitutional prolonging of the mandate of the president and the indefinite postponement of elections are reasons of great concern, especially combined with the said shrinking of civic space. The European Union does not see these and other worrying developments concerning the human rights situation in Mali reflected in the text, such as the criminalisation of same-sex relations, reported summary and collective executions, and the continuing impunity for abuses by foreign armed groups such as the so-called Africa Corps.
Despite these concerns, we strongly support the renewal of the mandate of the Independent Expert and we call on this council to adopt the resolution by consensus.
Thank you.