United Nations Independent Investigation on Burundi
The Human Rights Council on 17 December 2015 created the United Nations Independent Investigation on Burundi (UNIIB) by resolution S-24 to investigate violations and abuses of human rights in Burundi, with a view to preventing further deterioration of the human rights situation. The UNIIB experts provided an oral update at the 31st Human Rights Council session (March 2016), and presented the final written report at the 33rd session (September 2016).
Mandate
The United Nations Independent Investigation on Burundi (UNIIB) was established by the Human Rights Council through resolution A/HRC/S-24 of 17 December 2015 which asked he High Commissioner for Human Rights to “urgently organize and dispatch on the most expeditious basis possible a mission by independent existing experts:
(a) to undertake swiftly an investigation into violations and abuses of human rights with a view to preventing further deterioration of the human rights situation;
(b) to make recommendations on the improvement of the human rights situation and on technical assistance to support reconciliation and the implementation of the Arusha Agreement;
(c) to engage with the Burundian authorities and all other relevant stakeholders, including United Nations agencies, civil society, refugees, the field presence of the Office of the High Commissioner in Burundi, authorities of the African Union, and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, in particular with a view to help the State to fulfil its human rights obligations, to ensure accountability for human rights violations and abuses, including by identifying alleged perpetrators, to adopt appropriate transitional justice measures and to maintain the spirit of the Arusha Agreement;
(d) to ensure the complementarity and coordination of this effort with other efforts of the United Nations, the African Union and other appropriate regional and international entities, drawing on the expertise of the African Union and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to the extent practicable.”
The Human Rights Council resolution requests to have a representative of the experts issue an oral update and participate in an “enhanced interactive dialogue” at its 31st session (March 2016). The resolution asks also the experts to issue a final written report at its 33th session (September 2016) and to participate in an interactive dialogue during the same session.
Call for Submissions
The UNIIB invites interested individuals, groups and organisations to submit information and/or documentation on human rights violations and abuses committed in Burundi since April 2015.
The deadline for the submission of information is 25 June 2016.
All submissions must include the contact details of the author(s). Submitting entities/individuals should specify if the submissions – or parts of them - should be treated confidentially. UNIIB shall take all necessary measures to ensure the confidentiality of the identity of the victims, authors and/or any other persons named in the submissions.
UNIIB can receive submissions in
English | French | Kirundi or Swahili
Documentation
Final report of the mission of independent experts to Burundi, A/HRC/33/37
20 September 2016
English | French
UNIBB will present an oral update to the Human Rights Council on 22 March 2016 and its final report to the 33th session of the Council, in 27 September 2016.
Oral update by Christof Heyns, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Member of the United Nations Independent Investigation on Burundi (UNIIB)
22 March 2016
English | French
Contact
For any query relating to UNIIB or to provide information relevant to its mandate, please write to:
uniib@ohchr.org
WhatsApp: +25772335639 / 72336638
Mailing address:
United Nations Independent Investigation on Burundi (UNIIB)
OHCHR
United Nations Office at Geneva
CH-1211 Geneva
Switzerland
Phone: +257 79114926 / 79139506
