Readout of Meeting Between the President of the Human Rights Council and H.E. Rénovat Tabu, Permanent Representative of Burundi to the UN Office at Geneva

Today the President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Choi Kyonglim (Republic of Korea), met with Ambassador Rénovat Tabu, Permanent Representative of Burundi to the UN Office at Geneva.  They discussed the recent statement by the Government of Burundi in response to the report of the UN Independent Investigation on Burundi (UNIIB), mandated by the Human Rights Council, through which the Government declared the three independent experts and authors of the report persona non grataand decided to suspend its cooperation with the OHCHR.

At the meeting, the President conveyed his serious concerns about the statement of the Government and firmly asked the Government to reconsider its position. He heard from Ambassador Tabu about the position of the Government of Burundi regarding the work of the members of the UN Independent Investigation.

The President expressed his confidence that the three independent experts carried out their tasks, as mandated by the Council, in a professional, impartial and objective manner and informed that the members of the newly established Commission of Inquiry, created by the Human Rights Council last month will be appointed soon.  He also stressed the importance for Burundi to cooperate with the UN and its bodies at this critical stage.

The President had a meeting with the members of the Bureau this afternoon to inform them of his discussion with Ambassador Tabu of Burundi.

Geneva, 14 October 2016