Madame President,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic countries. We thank the Independent Expert for his report and the panelists for participating today.

We are encouraged by the progress made in Sudan and positive steps taken by the transitional Government to address systemic human rights and rule-of-law concerns. This includes commitments to tackle impunity and ensure accountability for past and recent crimes, including in cooperation with the ICC, as well as efforts to reach comprehensive peace agreements across the country.

However, we recognize that major challenges lie ahead which necessitate continuous engagement, advocacy and programmatic intervention. This will require sustained international support and engagement and we underline the important role OHCHR must play in this regard. We welcome that OHCHR´s Country Office is now operational in Sudan and look forward to close cooperation between this Office and UNITAMS.

We reiterate that for Sudan to break from its past and continue on the path to democracy, all human rights must be ensured for all, including human rights defenders, journalists and political opponents. We would like to ask, how can we and the Office best support Sudan in its next phase of technical assistance for the protection of human rights?

Thank you.