UN Human Rights Council approves resolution on Venezuela
The document calls for the Venezuelan government to accept humanitarian aid to solve the problem of food and medication shortages in the country.
Resolução sobre Venezuela é aprovada no Conselho de Direitos Humanos da ONU
This week, 23 countries approved a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Venezuela. In the document, the collegiate recognises the serious political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Brazil’s neighbouring country and calls for the Venezuelan government to accept aid in order to tackle medication and food shortages.
Furthermore, the document calls on the High Commissioner for Human Rights for a report on the human rights situation in Venezuela, that should be presented at the 41st meeting of the Council, in June next year. In addition, it demands the cooperation of the Maduro government with the High Commissioner and the Council’s monitoring apparatus.
The Council resolution urges the Venezuelan state to accept and cooperate in terms of the humanitarian aid proposed by the Office of the UN High Commissioner, in order to solve the serious problems facing the population such as medication and food shortages. The country’s children are facing serious malnutrition and there have been outbreaks of diseases that had been eradicated or controlled in South America.
According to Conectas Programme Coordinator, Camila Asano, “the resolution approved by the UN Human Rights Council is an important step in maintaining the debate on human rights violations in Venezuela, at an international level”. The resolution also recognises that the migration of Venezuelans is mainly caused by the humanitarian crisis happening in the country.
Part of this migratory flow has been destined for Brazil, but bureaucratic hold-ups have been hampering the integration of Venezuelan refugees into Brazilian society. According to Asano, “Brazil, receives part of this flow and needs to urgently recognise applications for refugee status by Venezuelans arriving in the country. These applications are being held up at Conare [The National Committee for Refugees]”.
