STATEMENT
Human Rights Council 49th Session.
Item 10 - High-level Interactive Dialogue on human rights situation in the Central African Republic
Statement delivered by Ambassador Tine Mørch Smith, Permanent Representative of Norway on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries
(Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden)
Check against delivery
30 March 2022
President,
I have the honour of speaking on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries. We thank the Independent Expert for his ongoing efforts and remain supportive of the OHCHR’s human rights mandate at MINUSCA.
The continuously deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation in the CAR remains a great concern. Both armed groups, the national army and their partners, the Russian Wagner Group, are responsible. We are appalled by the reported high number of gender-based and conflict-related sexual violence, the grave violations against children, and the targeting of religious minorities. We condemn in the strongest terms the targeting of humanitarian workers and the repeated attempts to obstruct the operations of MINUSCA.
The government must continue to provide MINUSCA and humanitarian organisations with access. All allegations of violations and abuses must be effectively and independently investigated, and the Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security must be implemented.
We would like the Independent Expert’s assessment of the effectiveness of existing accountability mechanisms in CAR to prevent further atrocities, and inquire whether the SOFA violations and attempts to obstruct MINUSCA’s work have impacted the human rights section’s monitoring and reporting on human rights abuses and violations in any way.
Thank you