Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Thank you,
Before I begin my intervention Aotearoa New Zealand conveys sincere condolences to the government and people of Libya for the loss of life and devastation caused by the recent floods.
Mr President,
Aotearoa New Zealand welcomes the oral update provided by the High Commissioner with the assistance of the Designated Expert on human rights in the Sudan.
The war is causing catastrophic human suffering and Aotearoa New Zealand is concerned at the deteriorating human rights situation in Sudan. The instances of the use of excessive force, unlawful killings, torture and ill-treatment in detention, and sexual and gender based violence, are deeply troubling.
We remind the parties of the commitments they jointly made upon signing the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan and call upon them to observe those commitments. In the spirit of the Jeddah Declaration we again request that the parties to the war agree and adhere to a ceasefire to enable humanitarian assistance to reach those many millions impacted by the fighting in Sudan.
We ask the High Commissioner, how can the international community help to reduce the impact on the civilian population of Sudan, particularly the incidents of gender based violence profoundly and unacceptably endangering the lives of women and girls?
Thank you Mr President.