A group of five countries — Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK — has introduced a draft resolution at the UN Human Rights Council responding to the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Sudan, according to a statement delivered at the Council's 63rd session.

The draft, known as L.26, follows a report from the UN Fact-Finding Mission which the core group says describes shattered communities, millions of displaced people and civilians caught in continuing violence. Drone warfare by both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces has widened the areas affected by fighting, while attacks have hit hospitals, markets and a kindergarten. The core group says illegal weapons flows and outside support are fuelling the atrocities and damaging the chances of peace, and it calls on states and other external actors to stop arming, financing or otherwise sustaining the conflict.

Key points

  • Draft resolution L.26 — presented by Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK in response to the crisis in Sudan.
  • Fact-Finding Mission — the core group wants its mandate renewed, calling it the only independent investigative body documenting violations across Sudan.
  • Accountability — the group backs the International Criminal Court's work and urges full Sudanese cooperation with the Court.
  • Banjul Joint Declaration — cited as evidence of collaboration between the UN mechanism and the African Union.

The core group is pressing for accountability along the full chain of responsibility and through every available route. It welcomed the work of the International Criminal Court and called on Sudan to cooperate fully with it. It also praised the Fact-Finding Mission's commitment to working alongside other accountability efforts, in particular the Joint Fact-Finding Mission of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, and pointed to the Banjul Joint Declaration agreed in May as proof of cooperation between the UN and the African Union.

The group said it had consulted widely on the draft with all delegations, starting with Sudan, and had taken on board many proposals, including some from the Sudanese authorities. It said it regretted that the changes were not enough for those authorities, stressing that the resolution is intended for the people of Sudan. The statement also recognised the courage of victims, survivors and human rights defenders who continue working for peace and documenting abuses, often at great personal risk, and urged all Council members to vote in favour.

Editor's comment

What it means in practice

This is a diplomatic step rather than something that changes daily life in Britain, but it matters because the UK is one of the countries steering it. If the resolution passes, the UN's independent monitoring of abuses in Sudan continues and the groundwork for future prosecutions stays in place. For most people in the UK there is nothing to do and no paperwork involved.

  • No direct impact — the vote does not change taxes, travel rules or benefits in the UK.
  • Watch the vote — the result will show how much support remains for UN monitoring of Sudan.
  • Longer term — renewed monitoring could feed into accountability efforts, including at the International Criminal Court.