In November 5, Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights participated in the Special Session held by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on the situation in Sudan. Maat contributed with an oral intervention expressing that the national dialogue is the ideal way to overcome this crisis in the best interest of the Sudanese people and to achieve their goals of security and stability. Maat also called upon all the parties to engage in a dialogue without preconditions to support the democratization efforts in the country in order to meet the expectations and aspirations of the Sudanese people in creating an advanced, peaceful, stable and democratic society for a better future. Moreover, the Association called upon the international community to mediate a resolution to the Sudanese conflict without prejudice to Sudan’s principle of sovereignty.

In the same vein, Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said at the opening of the Special Session that the UNHRC must take the appropriate measures to ensure the protection of the human rights situation in Sudan by establishing an adequate and independent mechanism and supporting the clear aspirations of the Sudanese people for democracy and independent society.

The speakers that participated in the debate were Cameroon on behalf of the African Union, Bahrain on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Slovenia on behalf of the European Union, Egypt on behalf of the League of Arab States and Finland on behalf of a group of countries, namely: Germany, Indonesia, Venezuela, Libya, Japan, Mauritania, Namibia , Bulgaria, Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uruguay, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Austria, United Kingdom, Argentina, China, Netherlands, Canada, Luxembourg, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Costa Rica, United Arab Emirates, Sweden, Belgium, New Zealand, the Holy See, Colombia, Switzerland, South Africa, Ireland, Ecuador, Egypt, Timor-Leste, South Sudan, Kenya, Portugal, Norway, Turkey, Paraguay, Malta, Australia and the United States. This is in addition to a large number of civil society organizations.

The Council has concluded to issuing a resolution without a vote calling for the preservation of the democratic process and respect for human rights. The Council also called on the international community to increase humanitarian aid to Sudan, while respecting the will of the Sudanese people, and called for the return of life to normal in Sudan and ensuring regional peace to support the stability of Sudan, including conducting elections and avoid all actions that may lead to further instability. There must also be full respect for the Juba Agreements and the signed documents, in order to return to the constitutional order. The resolution also stipulated the appointment of a special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Sudan for a one-year term, a position whose term had expired a year ago at the end of October 2020.

In the same context, commenting on the issue of state sovereignty and respect for internal affairs, some representatives of states and civil society expressed their regret for the politicization of the Council, and the call for holding exceptional sessions such as this one, as the Council did not enjoy the required impartiality that it should enjoy.

It is noteworthy that Maat pays considerable attention to the file of international mechanisms, as it holds consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and in its capacity as a member of the General Assembly of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union, and as an observer in the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and as a coordinator of the North African region in the group of major NGOs in Africa of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs