Human Rights Watch has warned that Burundi is on the verge of retaining its seat at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) despite a longstanding history of documented human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.
The rights organisation said that lack of competition for the seat will ultimately pave the way for Burundi’s retention at the council for another three-year term starting January 2027.
Human Rights Watch rebuked the uncontested process, arguing that it denied UN member states a meaningful opportunity to reject candidate countries with human rights abuse records.
Burundi is among the four African countries seeking election into the available four slots on the council. Ghana, Nigeria, and Zambia are vying for the region’s three other seats. With no fifth candidate in the running, the four countries are expected to win the available seats, if they secure the required number of votes.
“This uncompetitive vote makes a mockery of the word ‘election,’” Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement on Monday. “UN member states should insist on competitive slates so they can reject candidates with poor human rights records. No one should have a seat on this crucial body handed to them on a silver platter.”
On October 6, the country’s delegation voted against renewing the mandate of the UN special rapporteur on Burundi, an independent officer tasked with monitoring and reporting on the country’s human rights situation.
The resolution was adopted by 22 votes to seven with 17 abstentions.
Candidates require a simple majority in the 193-member General Assembly to secure a seat, but candidates without opposition are likely to be accepted.
Human Rights Watch said the East African nation had yet to implement reforms to address human rights abuse concerns.
“Grave abuses persist with impunity, including extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and detention. Freedom of expression, assembly, and association remain severely restricted,” the statement said.
