Madam Vice President,

Rwanda reaffirms Item 10 as a cornerstone of the Council’s work on technical assistance and capacity-building, which should support States in fulfilling their human rights obligations, not serve as a platform for accusations against other Member States or politicize assistance in ways that change their procedural status before the Council.

Rwanda draws the Council’s attention to the need to review the practice and criteria by which Member States are designated as “countries concerned,” particularly under Agenda Item 10.

In Rwanda’s case, this designation has been applied inconsistently.

First, Rwanda was not provided in advance with the High Commissioner’s report, despite allegations concerning Rwanda and the established practice allowing concerned States to provide relevant information before publication.

Second, the Secretariat acknowledged Rwanda’s choice not to speak as a country concerned, yet later relied on that designation to deny Rwanda the right of reply.

Established practice remains unclear and unpredictable. A State should not be designated “country concerned” because a technical assistance resolution on another State contains allegations against it, nor lose its right to respond by rejecting that designation.

Rwanda calls on the Council to safeguard the integrity of Agenda Item 10 as a forum for genuine engagement, partnership and capacity-building. A longer version of this statement has been uploaded to the extranet. 

I thank you, Madam Vice President.