Human Rights Council ‒ 60th session
Item 4 - Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi
Statement by Denmark on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic States.
19 September 2025
President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic States.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for his valuable reporting. We remain deeply concerned that he continues to be denied access to the country.
Serious human rights violations and abuses continue to persist in Burundi, taking place in the context of widespread impunity for past and ongoing atrocities. We remain deeply concerned by severe restrictions on freedoms of opinion, expression, and peaceful assembly, and by reports of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and widespread sexual and gender-based violence.
Victims and survivors of torture and SGBV must receive urgent care, including access to psychosocial support and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services.
We deplore the shrinking civic space leading up to the elections held in June, which was undermined by the absence of a free and fair electoral process, and express particular concern for the period ahead of the 2027 elections.
We reiterate our call on the Government of Burundi to engage with the UN human rights mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur as a crucial step towards ensuring accountability.
Special Rapporteur,
How can the international community best support the protection of human rights in Burundi in the run-up to the 2027 elections?
I thank you.