Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Delivered by First Secretary Emma Hodder.
Mr President,
Aotearoa New Zealand thanks the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for their update on ongoing human rights violations in Venezuela.
We welcome the important work of the Fact-Finding Mission and strongly support the renewal of its mandate. The Fact-Finding Mission’s investigations into human rights violations, and its work to ensure full accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims, must continue.
We are deeply concerned by the Fact-Finding Mission’s findings of acts of torture, including cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and sexual and gender-based violence. We are concerned by findings of extrajudicial killings, and ongoing persecution targeting media workers, civil society organisations, human rights defenders and lawyers.
We are particularly concerned by the deteriorating situation for Venezuela’s Indigenous Peoples. Structural factors often mean oppression is compounded for Indigenous Peoples, and this is particularly the case in Venezuela where social and legal structures to protect vulnerable communities have been eroded.
New Zealand remains committed to supporting a peaceful and democratic solution to the crisis in Venezuela. We strongly support the return of all parties to the negotiations in Mexico, in pursuit of a negotiated outcome. We call on all sides to work together to uphold the human rights of Venezuelans.
Madame Valiñas, what plans does the Fact Finding Mission have to continue investigating human rights violations being committed against Venezuela’s Indigenous Peoples, in order to ensure accountability?
Thank you.