BUJUMBURA June 21st (ABP) – The Minister of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender, Mrs. Imelde Sabushimike, opened on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, a two-day workshop for the restitution of recommendations resulting from the presentation of the national report of Burundi for the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Burundi of 2023, and the launch of a national campaign for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
In his speech, Minister Sabushimike said that from May 1 to 12, 2023, the Burundian delegation participated in the 43rd session of the working group on the UPR. During that session, 14 countries were examined within the framework of the UPR for the 4th cycle, including Burundi.
The Minister also recalled that the UPR in Burundi was based on documents, namely the national report made up of information submitted by the State under review, a compilation of information from the reports of human rights experts and information from other stakeholders, including national human rights institutions, and regional civil society organizations. According to Minister Sabushimike, the UPR is a United Nations mechanism allowing UN member States to review the human rights situation in each member State of the said organization.
Regarding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Minister Sabushimike clarified that Human Rights Day is celebrated on December 10 of each year to acknowledge the importance of its adoption in 1948, in Paris.
To mark the historic character of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has set up the global initiative of a commemoration covering the whole year 2023 in order to put the UDHR back at the heart of the search for a solution to the evils that undermine humanity today and to renew its promise under the theme “Freedom, equality and justice for all”.
She added that the Ministry in charge of Human Rights, in consultation with the Independent National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH) and the United Nations system, has identified actions that will contribute to marking historical milestones, in order to consolidate the achievements and take other innovative initiatives.
She did not fail to say that the government, through the ministry in charge of human rights, spares no effort to implement the commitments to which it has subscribed, in order to protect Human Rights in general, and the Rights of Vulnerable People, in particular.