Thank you Madam President.
The UK thanks the outgoing Special Rapporteur for her work and her report. There is no doubt that extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions violate human rights and we cannot allow these abhorrent practices to continue unchecked.
The UK Government strongly condemns any instances of unlawful executions. We urge states to carry out their obligations to investigate any allegations, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims and their families.
Extrajudicial killings have a profound impact on the families of victims and their communities. These practices also undermine the rule of law and harm its effectiveness.
The UK is proud to partner with leading NGOs to tackle this issue. We also utilise the multilateral system to raise concerns, address these crimes and work with other like minded partners to end these unlawful practices.
We engage bilaterally to promote awareness of this issue, raising individual cases where appropriate. The UK is clear that all states have a responsibility to protect human rights.
Special Rapporteur, in your view, to what extent has the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to work on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions and what steps must be taken to overcome these?