Geneva, (SUNA) – Sudan’s Permanent Representative in Geneva, Ambassador Hassan Hamid Hassan, affirmed that accountability and justice remain top national priorities for the Sudanese government, stressing that Sudan’s cooperation with human rights mechanisms demonstrates that protecting human rights is a national commitment rather than an external requirement. He highlighted the government’s constructive engagement with the UN country office, the Independent Expert on the human rights situation in Sudan, and the Panel of Experts established under UN Security Council Resolution 1591. Ambassador Hassan said that following the outbreak of the war, the government established the National Committee of Inquiry into violations of national law and international humanitarian law to ensure accountability and prevent impunity. The committee has since submitted five interim reports to the Human Rights Council. He stressed that Sudan has consistently expressed readiness to apply the principle of complementarity, whereby any external mechanism would complement, rather than replace, the national investigation committee and Sudan’s judicial institutions. Commenting on the British-drafted resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Hassan said its sponsors had failed to address Sudan’s fundamental reservations, particularly provisions affecting national sovereignty and those placing the Sudanese Armed Forces on an equal footing with a rebel militia accused of committing serious violations. He called on countries committed to the UN Charter and its principles to vote against the resolution. China and Egypt opposed the resolution and called for a vote. The resolution was subsequently adopted with 28 votes in favour, 10 against and nine abstentions, meaning that 19 of the Council’s 47 members did not support it.BH/BH