A/HRC/43/28 the High Commissioner drew attention to the current political landscape, particularly in countries in which important human rights advances were being dismantled, notably regarding the rights of minorities. 3 She also expressed deep alarm at the extensive and devastating effects of sexual violence in conflict situations, in which many victims were targeted based on their perceived minority status, along ethnic, religious, political or clan lines.4 13. For instance, the High Commissioner expressed concern about violence and alleged human rights violations, including against minorities after the national elections in Bangladesh in 2018.5 She also highlighted the situation in India where reports indicated the increasing harassment and targeting of minorities, in particular Muslims and people from historically disadvantaged and marginalized groups, such as Dalits and Adivasis.6 14. Regarding the human rights situation of minorities in Myanmar, 7 the High Commissioner noted with concern the serious situation of the Rohingya. Taking note of some initial steps by the Government of Myanmar to implement certain recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, she emphasized that the overall objectives of the recommendations remained largely unaddressed; no representation of Rohingya at any level of decision-making and systematic discrimination continued. She also stressed that there were no conditions for voluntary and safe return for more than 730,000 Rohingya refugees who had fled to Bangladesh as a result of extreme violence perpetrated against them in 2016 and 2017, or the 130,000 internally displaced Rohingya living in controlled camps in central Rakhine since 2012. The High Commissioner also mentioned that there had been an absence of credible national investigations into allegations of grave violations occurring in Rakhine State, as well as in Kachin and Shan States, which gave rise to concern. 15. In 2019, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar released several reports, one of which concluded that the country’s military was systematically using sexual and gender-based violence to terrorize and punish ethnic minorities.8 Many of those acts amounted to crimes under international law, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide.9 The Mission further called for the imposition of an arms embargo and highlighted that, since 2016, the military had carried out extensive and systematic human rights violations against civilians in Kachin, Shan and Rakhine States.10 It also highlighted the current conflict against the ethnic Rakhine minority that had begun in 2019, also impacting on Chin and other minorities residing in Rakhine and Chin States. 16. Concerning the promotion of reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, the High Commissioner expressed concern at the minimal progress on accountability, which had had a particularly damaging impact on victims from ethnic and religious groups.11 She also expressed deep concern at the aggravation of intercommunal tensions, in particular at several attacks targeting religious minorities. She noted that, to be successful, a transitional justice agenda must enjoy the confidence of victims and society at large, which could only develop when grievances were effectively addressed and the Government abided by its commitments, such as to the devolution of political authority and the protection of the rights of minorities. 17. In addition, she publicly condemned violence and attacks against ethnic and religious communities. In March, she condemned the horrific attacks in Mali, which had left at least 153 people dead and 73 injured, mostly people of the Fulani ethnic community. Furthermore, she emphasized that racism was contrary to everything the United Nations 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 4 See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24203&LangID=E. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24415&LangID=E. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24056&LangID=E. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24265&LangID=E. See A/HRC/40/37. See www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/MyanmarFFM/Pages/sexualviolence.aspx. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24907&LangID=E. See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24868&LangID=E. See A/HRC/40/23.