UN General Assembly
2006

With regard to promoting the rule of law and the rights of the individual, we are making progress through the reforms taking place in the justice sector and with regard to human rights, national solidarity and gender equality. The Burundi Government’s programme has placed promoting the rights of women and gender equality amongst its priorities. We urge the United Nations to give particular attention to this issue during its reform process. The Government also appeals for, and supports, a specific structure to ensure that women emerge from poverty and thus have genuine equality. Still with regard to the rule of law, in addition to the 5,000 or more political prisoners already freed, on the occasion of the celebration of the forty-fourth anniversary of national independence on 1 July this year, we decided to release undocumented detainees being held under irregular circumstances. Similarly, the Government has started to improve conditions for prisoners who have been properly sentenced. However, we are aware that much more needs to be done in this area, with the support of the international community.