The decision to close the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights became effective on 28 February. After 23 years operating in Burundi, the latter has entered into serious discussions with the government on the procedure to close its doors in the country. On 5 December 2018, Burundi government instructed the office to close its office in the country.
OHCHR closes its doors after 23 years in Burundi
“While the negotiations for the signing of a new headquarters agreement were then in their final phase, Burundi government considered that the country has made sufficient progress in the promotion human rights”, reads the statement issued on 4 March. The decision was taken after Burundi government had decided to suspend all activities of the UN office in Burundi in December 2016.
According to the OHCHR team in Burundi, the absence of the office will certainly have an impact on the situation of human rights in the country. “Burundian people that we serve will be affected by the lack of the UN system’s interventions”.
The United Nations system calls on Burundi government to continue to work with the office for another form of mutually beneficial cooperation and in the interest of promoting and protecting human rights in Burundi despite the closure of its office.
The OHCHR was established in 1995 in Burundi with the main objective of identifying all human rights violations committed. All information collected was provided to the government with corrective measures.
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