Geneva: The Sudanese delegation to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva reaffirmed Sudan’s commitment to protecting United Nations staff, its mechanisms, and their collaborators, while stressing the readiness of national bodies to receive any related observations and address them.
According to Sudan News Agency, the statement came under agenda items three and five during discussions on the Secretary-General’s report concerning the protection of civil society actors cooperating with UN human rights mechanisms from intimidation and reprisals.
The delegation noted that although the report referred to alleged cases of reprisals against civil society actors, Sudan’s national mechanisms for the protection and promotion of human rights had not received any complaints or communications on such cases from UN bodies. The delegation further highlighted that Sudan has hosted the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) country office since 2019, along with other specialized UN agencies, all of whose staff are afforded full care and respect.
The Sudanese delegation questioned the utility of naming certain countries in the report while withholding the names of the alleged victims, asking how states could provide protection, compensation, or remedies for such cases if they indeed exist.
It also raised concerns on how UN mechanisms distinguish between constructive cooperation and the exploitation of these mechanisms for political purposes or the dissemination of unfounded allegations.