Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/24 Situation of human rights in Sierra Leone

The Commission on Human Rights,

Reaffirming that all Member States have an obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms as stated in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other applicable human rights instruments,

Mindful that Sierra Leone is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, as well as to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights,

Taking note of Security Council resolutions 1265 (1999) of 17 September 1999, 1270 (1999) of 22 October 1999, 1289 (2000) of 7 February 2000 and recalling Commission resolution 1999/1 of 6 April 1999,

Expressing concern regarding the continuing violations of human rights and humanitarian law committed in Sierra Leone, particularly against civilians, abducted women and children,

1. Welcomes:

(a) The report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (E/CN.4/2000/31) and the reports of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone dated 6 December 1999 and 11 January and 7 March 2000 respectively (S/1999/1223, S/2000/13 and S/2000/186);

(b) The deployment of the United Nations in Sierra Leone, established by Security Council resolution 1270 (1999), with the mandate, inter alia, to report on violations of international humanitarian law and human rights in Sierra Leone and, in consultation with the relevant United Nations agencies, to assist the Government of Sierra Leone in its efforts to address the country's human rights needs;

(c) The efforts made by the Government of Sierra Leone, the leadership of the Revolutionary United Front of Sierra Leone, the Military Observer Group of the Economic Community of West African States and the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone towards the implementation of the Peace Agreement signed in Lomé on 7 July 1999;

(d) The steps taken by the Government of Sierra Leone and Sierra Leonean civil society to create a human rights infrastructure in the country, in particular the efforts to establish an effectively functioning Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a National Human Rights Commission and a Commission for the Consolidation of Peace, and reiterates the continued need to promote peace and national reconciliation and to foster accountability and respect for human rights;

(e) The recent adoption by the Sierra Leone Parliament of a statute establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the recent establishment of a new National Electoral Commission;

(f) The adoption of the Human Rights Manifesto by the Government of Sierra Leone, the National Commission for Democracy and Human Rights, representatives of civil society, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the occasion of the latter's visit to Sierra Leone in June 1999;

(g) The human rights training, including specialized gender and child rights training, provided to national human rights monitors, police officers and military personnel of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone;

(h) The deployment of a child protection adviser within the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone to help to ensure the protection of children's rights, which is a priority throughout the peacekeeping process and the consolidation of peace in Sierra Leone;

(i) The assistance provided by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone and the international community to the Government of Sierra Leone in addressing its human rights obligations;

(j) The activities carried out by the International Committee of the Red Cross and humanitarian organizations, especially those in the field of medical assistance and relief activities focused on the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons;

2. Notes that the Special Representative of the Secretary-General entered a reservation, attached to his signature of the Lomé Agreement, that the United Nations holds the understanding that the amnesty provisions of the Agreement shall not apply to international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other serious violations of international humanitarian law, and affirms that all persons who commit or authorize serious violations of human rights or international humanitarian law at any time are individually responsible and accountable for those violations and that the international community will exert every effort to bring those responsible to justice;

3. Expresses its grave concern:

(a) At the continuing abuses of human rights and humanitarian law committed in Sierra Leone, generally with impunity, in particular atrocities against civilians being perpetrated by the Revolutionary United Front Armed Forces Revolutionary Council and the ex-Sierra Leone Army, including rapes, abductions, hostage-taking, summary executions, mutilations, forced labour and the targeting and abuse of women and children, including the recruitment and use of child soldiers contrary to international law and the continued detention of abductees;

(b) At the slow pace of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme, continued trafficking in small arms and the continued retention by certain ex-combatants of heavy weapons;

(c) At the dire humanitarian situation affecting the population, including refugees and internally displaced persons, caused by the limited humanitarian access to the population particularly in the most affected areas of the north and east of the country;

(d) At the detention of, and attacks on, humanitarian personnel, in particular the incidents of June and July 1999;

4. Deplores the ongoing atrocities committed by the rebels, including murders, rape, abductions and detentions, calls for an end to all such acts, and also calls for the cessation of the recruitment and use of children as soldiers contrary to international law, and of all attacks on civilians;

5. Urges all parties to the Lomé Peace Agreement:

(a) To fulfil all their commitments under the Agreement in order to facilitate the restoration of peace, stability, national reconciliation and development in Sierra Leone;

(b) To respect human rights and international humanitarian law, including the human rights and welfare of women and children;

(c) To provide full and unconditional cooperation with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, including the human rights section of that Mission and unconditional access for the Mission throughout the country;

(d) To work together to ensure full and early disarmament of former combatants in all areas, and to give special attention to child combatants in the disarmament; demobilization and reintegration process;

(e) To ensure safe and unhindered access to all affected populations in accordance with international humanitarian law and that the status of the United Nations and associated personnel, including locally engaged staff, as well as humanitarian personnel, is fully respected by providing guarantees for their safety, security and freedom of movement;

(f) To respect the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons and to facilitate their return, voluntarily and in safety, to their homes;

6. Calls upon the Government of Sierra Leone:

(a) To continue to comply with its obligations to promote and protect human rights;

(b) To continue to work closely and strengthen further its cooperation in the area of human rights with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights;

(c) To ensure the effective functioning of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in order to address the question of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law since the beginning of the Sierra Leone conflict in 1991;

(d) To give priority attention to the special needs of women and children, in particular those mutilated, sexually abused, gravely traumatized and displaced, in cooperation with the international community;

7. Also calls upon the Government of Sierra Leone to investigate all reports of human rights abuses that have occurred since the signing of the Lomé Peace Agreement and to end impunity, and requests the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights

to respond favourably to any requests from the Government of Sierra Leone for assistance with its investigation of reports of human rights abuses that have occurred since the signing of the Lomé Peace Agreement;

8. Decides:

(a) To request the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the international community to continue to assist the Government of Sierra Leone to establish and maintain an effectively functioning Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Human Rights Commission;

(b) To request the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the international community to give all necessary assistance to the human rights section of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone to enable it to fulfil its mandate to report on violations of international humanitarian law and human rights in Sierra Leone and, in consultation with the relevant United Nations agencies, assist the Government of Sierra Leone in its efforts to address the country's human rights needs; including:

(i) To strengthen its involvement in programmes of technical cooperation, advisory services and human rights advocacy programmes;

(ii) To strengthen its support for, and to continue and expand its cooperation with, human rights non-governmental organizations in Sierra Leone;

(c) To request the High Commissioner for Human Rights to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session and to the Commission at its fifty-seventh session on the human rights situation in Sierra Leone, including with reference to reports from the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone;

(d) To consider this question at its fifty-seventh session under the same agenda item, as a matter of high priority.

56th meeting
18 April 2000
[Adopted without a vote. ]