Based on evidence heard by the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development during the course of its September and October 2016 study on the human rights situation in Burundi, the Subcommittee recommends that the Government of Canada:

RECOMMENDATION 1

monitor, to the best of its ability, the ethnic aspects of Burundi’s human rights situation and respond to any escalation of ethnically charged rhetoric from the Government of Burundi or opposition groups by publicly condemning such actions and by urging the United Nations Security Council to take measures that would prevent the commission of acts of genocide.

RECOMMENDATION 2

continue to provide financial and political support to Burundian civil society organizations, including by advocating for their protection through all available diplomatic channels.

RECOMMENDATION 3

develop an action plan to support the resettlement of Burundian asylum-seekers in Canada, and maintain the existing moratorium on deporting failed refugee claimants to Burundi until a political settlement is determined to be sustainable.

RECOMMENDATION 4

support the UNHCR in its work with host states to ensure the physical security of Burundian refugees, including efforts to maintain the civilian character of camps and to prevent sexual violence.

RECOMMENDATION 5

support the UNHCR in enhancing host states’ capacity to ensure the availability of psycho-social support to Burundian refugees, particularly to those who have been the victims of sexual violence.

RECOMMENDATION 6

call on the Government of Burundi to restore funding for the Ministry of Education, to allow secondary students to resume their studies, and to work with development partners and the private sector to create employment programs to improve conditions for Burundian youth and establish the conditions for economic growth.

RECOMMENDATION 7

call on the international community, including the United Nations and the African Union, to address Burundi’s culture of impunity, which is apparent through the executive’s control of the judiciary, its use of threats towards judges of the Constitutional Court, and its use of the judiciary as a tool of repression.

RECOMMENDATION 8

advocate for the legal rights of peaceful members of Burundi’s civil society, including by calling on the Government of Burundi to enhance the capacity of Burundi's Independent National Commission on Human Rights to conduct its work and to grant access to monitoring and advocacy groups such as the Red Cross and Lawyers Without Borders to monitor trials and prison conditions.

RECOMMENDATION 9

urge the Government of Burundi to allow the collection and preservation of evidence by the relevant national, regional and international entities, including Burundis’ Independent National Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Burundi, and to support these entities in the collection and preservation of evidence.

RECOMMENDATION 10

advocate for a lasting political settlement in Burundi through engagement with the relevant entities, including the African Union, the Government of Burundi and the governments of neighboring states.

RECOMMENDATION 11

strongly urge the Government of Burundi to allow full access to the African Union monitors and the United Nations police mission mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2303 (2016).

RECOMMENDATION 12

encourage the African Union and the United Nations to coordinate their advocacy for enhanced access and, where possible, take advantage of opportunities to coordinate operations.

RECOMMENDATION 13

support initiatives to suspend Burundi’s membership on the Human Rights Council in light of the UN Independent Investigation in Burundi’s finding that gross and systematic violations of human rights are taking place.

RECOMMENDATION 14

use the Universal Periodic Review of Burundi to make recommendations calling on Burundi to respect its existing human rights obligations, and to advocate that Burundi accede to, or sign and ratify, the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, allowing an individual complaints procedure.

RECOMMENDATION 15

strongly advocate for the UN Security Council to take action by imposing targeted economic sanctions and travel bans against Burundian officials and others who commit human rights violations or impede a peaceful political settlement, and implement these sanctions under Canadian law. Any sanctions should be carefully developed so as to avoid negative impacts on Burundians.

RECOMMENDATION 16

increase its advocacy on behalf of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Burundi  during the course of renegotiation of its host agreement, particularly to ensure that it maintains its ability to document and report on ongoing human rights violations.

RECOMMENDATION 17

support the United Nations Commission of Inquiry into Burundi, including by advocating for the cooperation of Burundi’s neighbouring states, and, where possible, providing necessary expertise in the areas of forensics, ballistics and responding to sexual violence.

RECOMMENDATION 18

strongly urge the Government of Burundi to reverse its decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court and engage with African partners to enhance the legitimacy of the International Criminal Court.