THE FBA SDNY CHAPTER UNITED NATIONS REPORTER SERIES
By Elianny Vera[1]
FBA UN Reporter
November 12, 2019
For the past five years, many in the international community have been looking to the Human Right Council to address the well-documented crisis unfolding in Venezuela. They have been seeking global leadership in establishing an oversight role in bringing about justice for the Venezuelan people. The crisis in this country has resulted in hyperinflation, economic depression, increases in crime, rampant unemployment, increased levels of poverty, a medical crisis due to a lack of resources, higher levels of disease, malnutrition, mortality. The country is experiencing a lack of basic goods such as milk, eggs, toilet paper, pampers, toothpaste, and medicines.
On September 27th, the Human Rights Council adopted two texts to address this evolving human rights situation. Proposed and supported by the Lima Group, a multilateral body advocating an end to the crisis, the Human Rights Council agreed to establish for one year and independent international fact-finding mission to investigate alleged human right violations, including extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment allegedly committed in Venezuela from 2014 to the present. With a vote of 19 countries in favor, seven against and 21 abstentions, the decision was somewhat contentious.
Julian Braithwaite, Representative of the United Kingdom, and others, requested that the independent commission report back orally at the March 2020 session about its findings. The Council requested that a written report be filed at the June 2020 session, including the Commission’s investigative findings as well as recommendations.
Based on the magnitude of the human rights violations that this crisis has caused, the Council stated that it hopes to use a range of mechanisms to uncover the truth, bring about accountability, and restore the democratic order, promptly.
[1] Elianny Vera is an LLM Student studying International Law and Justice at Fordham Law School. She anticipates graduating in Spring, 2020.