A/HRC/RES/40/19
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
8 April 2019
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Fortieth session
25 February–22 March 2019
Agenda item 4
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 22 March 2019
40/19.
Situation of human rights in South Sudan
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
Guided also by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter on
Human and Peoplesʼ Rights and relevant human rights treaties,
Reaffirming that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and
that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights,
Recalling Human Rights Council resolutions 34/25 of 24 March 2017 and 37/31 of
23 March 2018, the twenty-sixth special session of the Council, including its resolution S26/1 of 14 December 2016 on the situation of human rights in South Sudan, and its
resolution 31/20 of 23 March 2016, in which the Council established the Commission on
Human Rights in South Sudan, and all other previous Human Rights Council and Security
Council resolutions and President’s statements on South Sudan,
Deeply alarmed by the report of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, 1
in which it noted that some of the human rights violations and abuses may amount to
crimes against international law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, and
that the armed conflict and violence in South Sudan includes attacks against civilians,
killings, abductions, torture, rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence,
deliberate denial of food, the looting and destruction of homes and villages, violence
against children, the unlawful recruitment and use of children by armed groups, and attacks
on schools and hospitals,
Welcoming the joint reports of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan of July 2018, entitled
“Indiscriminate attacks against civilians in southern Unity: April–May 2018”, of October
2018, entitled “Violations and abuses against civilians in Gbudue and Tambura states
(Western Equatoria)”, and of February 2019, entitled “Conflict-related sexual violence in
northern Unity: September–December 2018”, noting the recommendations contained
therein and deeply concerned by their findings,
1
A/HRC/40/69.
GE.19-05831(E)