JUBA/GENEVA (8 February 2024) – The independent experts of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan will make a five-day visit to the country next week.

Chairperson Yasmin Sooka will lead the mission along with fellow members Barney Afako and Carlos Castresana Fernández from 12 to 16 February 2024.

The visit comes at a critical time in South Sudan, as the country’s transition period under the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement nears an end, with a new constitution and national elections planned by December 2024.

They will meet Government officials, survivors of human rights violations, members of civil society, jurists, UN agencies and the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The experts plan to discuss the human rights situation in South Sudan, including the Commission’s latest findings and recommendations.

The Commissioners will hold a press conference at 10:00 AM on Friday, 16 February at the UNMISS conference room in Tomping, Juba.

The Commission will present its latest findings on the human rights situation in South Sudan to the UN Human Rights Council in early March 2024, in Geneva.

ENDS

Background: The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan is an independent body mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council. First established in March 2016, it has been renewed annually since. Its three Commissioners are not UN staff, they are not renumerated for their work as Commissioners, and they serve independently in their capacity as experts. They are supported by a Secretariat based in Juba, South Sudan. The Commission is mandated to investigate the situation of human rights in South Sudan and to make recommendations to prevent a deterioration of the situation, with a view to its improvement. The Commission is also mandated to determine and report the facts and circumstances of human rights violations and abuses, including by clarifying responsibility for crimes under national and or international law. The Commission’s findings are informed by independent interviews conducted with victims and survivors of human rights violations, as well as witnesses, service providers, and related experts and stakeholders.

More informationabout the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan can be found here. Follow the Commission on X (formerly known as Twitter) here.

For media queries, please contact: In Juba: Rajeev PS, Public Information Officer/Media Adviser, rajeev.puthenpurackalsunilkumar@un.org / +211912174078; Or in Geneva: Todd Pitman, Media Adviser for the UN Human Rights Council’s Investigative Missions, todd.pitman@un.org / +41 76 691 1761; or Pascal Sim, Human Rights Council Media Officer,  simp@un.org.