UN Human Rights Council 41: Clustered Dialouge on Executions and the Right to Education

Thank you Mr President.

The United Kingdom thanks the Special Rapporteur on the right to education for her report. We remain strongly committed to enabling all children to receive 12 years of quality education.

The United Kingdom supports the work of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and thanks her for her work on the report into the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.

Mr President,

The United Kingdom condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the killing of Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul last October. We remain clear that anyone found responsible – following a credible judicial process – must be held to account. The UK has urged the authorities of Saudi Arabia to provide a credible and transparent explanation of events. Key questions remain unanswered. We reiterate our calls on Saudi Arabia to ensure that such a terrible event cannot – and must not – ever happen again.

We note the findings and recommendations of the report. We urge all parties to share relevant information. We are concerned by reported restrictions regarding the investigative process. We advise Saudi Arabia to do all it can to ensure transparency of the judicial process.

We thank the Special Rapporteur’s for her report’s recommendations for strengthening international action to protect journalists and for new measures to act on the issue of impunity. We look forward to discussing these issues with partners in London at the Global Conference for Media Freedom.

Thank you, Mr President.