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Interactive Dialogue with OHCHR on South Sudan | HRC 49
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March 29, 2022

Interactive Dialogue with OHCHR

Statement by the Delegation of the United States of America

As Delivered by Lucy Seyfarth

Human Rights Council – 49th Session

March 29, 2022

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The United States welcomes OHCHR’s report on South Sudan. We are disturbed by widespread reports of conflict-related abuses, including sexual violence, and by restricted political and civil space. We are also concerned over the potential of political and electoral violence increasing ahead of possible elections next year.

The United States and others support transitional justice efforts in South Sudan, including with millions of dollars to assist South Sudanese survivors, and for judges, lawyers, and civil society to investigate atrocities.

The slow progress in creating the transitional justice mechanisms agreed to in the Revitalized Agreement show that, while technical assistance is useful, political will is also needed.

We welcome OHCHR’s technical assistance in South Sudan. In tandem, we call to renew the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan’s mandate to ensure that evidence of human rights violations and abuses and related crimes is collected and preserved for accountability purposes. In the continued absence of key transitional justice mechanisms, the Commission’s deep expertise in transitional justice is especially needed.

How can we facilitate the implementation of key transitional justice mechanisms?

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