Nordic-Baltic Intervention with the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions

Madame Chair,

I have the honour of delivering the following statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic States: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Latvia, Lithuania and my own country, Sweden.

The Nordic-Baltic States reaffirm our strong support for the Special Rapporteur’s mandate.  Your work, Mr. Rapporteur, is more needed than ever.

We strongly condemn all extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, including executions targeting persons belonging to minorities and persons in vulnerable situations, as abhorrent violations of human rights. Without respect for the right to life, no other human right can be upheld. Human rights must be respected in all cases, including with regard to Russia’s violations committed as part of its war of aggression against Ukraine. All extrajudicial killings must be promptly, effectively, thoroughly, independently, impartially and transparently investigated, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

Mr. Rapporteur, this year marks the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of your mandate –the oldest single thematic mandate among all the special procedures. Over the past forty years important international standards and guidelines have been elaborated, with the substantial contribution and support of yourself and your predecessors, including the Revised United Nations Manual on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-Legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions (the so-called Minnesota Protocol) from 2016.

This year, Finland on behalf of the Nordic countries is again presenting a resolution extrajudical, summary or arbitrary executions, in which new language on the impact of new technologies on human rights, including on extrajudicial executions, is proposed.  

Mr. Rapporteur, in your view, how are States to ensure that new technologies are not discriminatory or used to violate human rights, with regard to extrajudicial executions?