Of course.
I think that in adopting this resolution and implementing this commission, the UN Human Rights Council is in reality pursuing an objective that complements the referral of the situation to the International Human Rights Council. There are two approaches here: a judicial approach and a UN approach with a more diplomatic side. In this request for a commission of inquiry, we must instead see an attempt to have the Burundian authorities co-operate with UN bodies.
As you know, the Security Council adopted a resolution last July to deploy 150 police force members in order to establish surveillance of the actions of police authorities in Bujumbura. However, this deployment of complementary police forces was explicitly and categorically refused by authorities in Burundi.
The purpose of establishing a commission of inquiry would, at first, be to convince the Bujumbura authorities to co-operate. I think what we need here is more of a sign of co-operating than a sign of establishing proof or verifying the accuracy of a number of facts.
It is true that, when the commission is appointed, it will have to investigate in the field with the agreement of the Bujumbura authorities and to establish whether all the information that has been forwarded so far to the various UN bodies reflects reality.
I would say that there are two approaches being taken at the same time here: the judicial approach with the referral of the situation to the International Human Rights Council, which has started a preliminary inquiry, and the diplomatic and political approach, which must enable re-establishing cooperation with the Burundian authorities.
That's the context in which the request was made by the Committee against Torture when it finished its review and in its final observations. It's important to keep in mind that the main asset of the conventions, at least the mechanisms established to monitor the implementation of treaties, is the co-operation of the states. Without that co-operation, we can't really have a permanent overview and dialogue to verify that these conventions are being implemented and respected.