Press Release
Published on March 30, 2007
NEW YORK, March 30, 2007 – With today’s decision on Darfur, the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva has “failed the people of Darfur,” according to the head of Human Rights First.
HRF Executive Director Maureen Byrnes said the decision fails to recognize the responsibility of the Sudanese government and rebel groups for human rights violations in Darfur. In doing so, the Council has ignored well-established evidence, including the recent report of its own high-level mission to Darfur, of government complicity in the crimes committed against the civilian population. “By ignoring the Sudanese government’s role in violent attacks on civilians, the Human Rights Council is protecting human rights violators instead of protecting human rights,” said Byrnes.
“It is regrettable that the Council was not able to name the parties responsible for committing flagrant and extensively documented violations of human rights,” said Byrnes, adding “Until those responsible for the horrific violations are held accountable for their crimes, they will have little incentive to stop.
“The one glimmer of hope, and at this stage it is a small one, is that the Darfur crisis is now firmly on the agenda of the Council. It has charged a group of special procedure mandate holders to report back to it at the next session.”
