51st Session UNHRC: Intervention by Ms. Yoana Barakova (Senior Research Analyst EFSAS)
20-09-2022, Geneva
Text and video of Ms. Yoana Barakova's intervention on Item 3 - Interactive dialogue with the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances during the 51st Session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Video of Ms. Yoana Barakova's Intervention on Item 3 - Interactive dialogue with the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances during the 51st Session of the UNHRC
"Mr. Vice President,
Enforced disappearances continue to be a major political issue in Central and South Asia. In its most recent report, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances paints the image of a region in which State-induced deaths and disappearances remain a sad and avoidable political reality.
Although the report positively comments on the collaborative conduct of the Bangladeshi government, key issues remain and more needs to be done.
In Sri Lanka, repression against the Tamil population evidently continues to be a major part of the government’s security policies. Further criticism and investigation is warranted here as well.
The case of Pakistan is particularly concerning. Pakistan has not just failed to effectively criminalize enforced disappearances but has also failed to collaborate with relevant UN bodies and investigations.
The most striking example, of course, is Xinjiang in China. The recent UN report highlights that China has systematically disappeared ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, alongside other repressive measures and systemic human rights violations which it continues to commit against its Uyghur population.
Mr. Vice President,
Recent data clearly indicates the non-compliance of many regional States to relevant international legislations and norms. This body, alongside other UN human rights bodies, must exert pressure on the mentioned States to conform with regulations and cooperate with investigations on enforced disappearances on their territory.
Without further investigations and the development of appropriate mechanisms, enforced disappearances as well as other human rights violations will only escalate in the future.
Thank you".
