Edouard Bizimana, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation of Burundi, said his country, which was once a beneficiary of international solidarity, is now an active contributor through its peacekeeping troops, diplomatic engagement and voice within multilateral forums.  “Burundi is a living example of resilience and the restoration of peace,” he stressed, adding that it was able to turn the page on conflict and has chosen the path of reconciliation, stability and mutual respect.

Underscoring that Burundi will stand against any politicization of human rights, he denounced the special mechanisms that are imposed on some countries, including Burundi, for subjective reasons. “This is why I reiterate Burundi's request to withdraw the initiative to extend the mandate of the famous special rapporteur on human rights in my country,” he said, who for 10 years has published subjective and biased reports on his country, “as if Burundi and time stood still for the last 10 years”.

He urged the Assembly not to close its eyes to tensions, ongoing or latent conflicts, horrors in Gaza or events in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, the Sahel and many other areas. Burundi wants to see peace based on international law, dialogue and respect for State sovereignty. Advocating for a more just representation of Africa in decision-making bodies, particularly the Security Council, he stressed:  “It is essential that this reform be Member States-led, in a spirit of geographical equity, transparency, multilingualism and respect for regional priorities.”  He added:  “A more efficient UN, yes; a UN just reduced to a technocratic or budgetary logic, no.”  He also reaffirmed the importance of recognizing the genocide against the Hutu people of Burundi in 1972.