HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CONCLUDES SPECIAL SESSION ON ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY THE TERRORIST GROUP BOKO HARAM

The Human Rights Council this afternoon concluded its Special Session on atrocities committed by the terrorist group Boko Haram after requesting the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to document and report on violations and abuses of human rights and atrocities committed by the terrorist group Boko Haram in countries affected by such acts.

In the resolution that was adopted by consensus, the Council condemned in the strongest terms the gross abuses of international human rights law and violations of international humanitarian law perpetrated by Boko Haram. The Council called upon those who provided support and resources to Boko Haram to put an immediate end to any such support that was contrary to international human rights law, and called for increased collaboration of the international community with the States affected by the terrorist activities of Boko Haram to monitor and dry up all possible sources of financing.

The Council called upon the international community to provide more active and multifaceted support for Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria and any other State affected by the actions of the terrorist group Boko Haram upon their request. It also called upon States and the international community to support the Multinational Joint Task Force adopted by the African Union as appropriate and to provide it with technical assistance.

The Council also called for the perpetrators of heinous crimes committed by the terrorist group Boko Haram to be brought before the competent courts of the affected States to ensure that those responsible for abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including attacks targeting civilians, were held accountable. It requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to collect information from affected countries and in close cooperation and consultation with them, in order to prepare a report on violations and abuses of human rights and atrocities committed by the terrorist group Boko Haram in the countries affected by such acts, with a view towards accountability.

The opening meeting of the Special Session heard keynote statements by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Mireille Fanon Mendes France, Member of the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures; and Pierre Buyoya, High Representative of the African Union for Mali and the Sahel, as well as statements by concerned countries delivered by Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cameroon; Mahamat Issa Halikimi, Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Chad; and Danjuma Nanpon Sheni, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria. A summary of their statements can be found here.

This was the twenty-third Special Session of the Human Rights Council.
Documentation relating to the Special Session, including the resolution, is available on the Human Rights Council webpage. The twenty-ninth regular session of the Human Rights Council will take place from 15 to June to 3 July 2015.


For use of the information media; not an official record

HRC15064E