A/HRC/45/CRP.11 CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION AND FRAMEWORK I. Introduction 1. In its resolution 42/25 of 27 September 2019, the Human Rights Council established an independent fact-finding mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (hereinafter “Venezuela”) “to investigate extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment since 2014 with a view to ensuring full accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims”. The Human Rights Council requested the Fact-Finding Mission to present a report on its findings during an interactive dialogue at its forty-fifth session in September 2020. 2. On 2 December 2019, the President of the Human Rights Council appointed Marta Valiñas of Portugal, Paul Seils of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Francisco Cox of Chile to serve as the members of the fact-finding mission. Ms. Valiñas was selected as chairperson. The Fact-Finding Mission (hereinafter “the Mission”) was supported by a secretariat of 13 professional staff based in Panama City, consisting of a coordinator, human rights investigators, legal and gender advisers, digital forensic and military experts, and security, administrative and reporting officers. 3. The Mission produced two reports, the report presented to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/45/33) and the present extended conference room paper, which provides a more detailed description of the incidents, analysis and conclusions contained in the report presented to the Human Rights Council. 4. The report focuses on patterns of conduct within which the four mandated human rights violations occurred. Within each pattern of conduct, the report analyzes specific incidents in more detail as illustrative examples of the patterns within which they took place. Given the focus of the mandate on accountability, the Mission sought to not only establish and verify incidents and investigate the mandated human rights violations and crimes but also to identify those responsible for such violations and crimes. In investigating the linkage evidence between the crimes and those responsible, the Mission has sought to identify command structures, patterns in conduct and indicators of control and discipline. 5. In its resolution establishing the Mission, the Human Rights Council urges the Venezuelan authorities to cooperate fully with the Fact-Finding Mission, to grant it immediate, full and unfettered access to and throughout the country, including to victims and places of detention, and to provide all the information necessary to fulfil its mandate (para. 25). The Human Rights Council specified that it would consider establishing a Commission of Inquiry if the situation continues to deteriorate or if the Venezuelan authorities do not meaningfully cooperate with the Office of the High Commissioner (para. 27). 6. The mission deeply regrets that it was not able to visit Venezuela and undertake incountry fact-finding. The Members formally requested on 14 January 2020 to have a meeting with the Permanent Representation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations in Geneva. This followed a similar request made by the Coordinator of the Mission on 7 January 2020. On 3 March 2020, the Members formally requested access to conduct investigations in Venezuela. The Mission also sent letters to the Government on 14 May 2020, 2 June 2020 and 7 August 2020 requesting information on issues of concern to the mandate. On 21 July and 4 September 2020, the Mission wrote to the Government expressing its intention to deliver the report to the Government ahead of publication for their consideration and comments, and requesting details of how delivery should be made. All correspondence was delivered to the Permanent Representative in Geneva and the letters of 3 March 2020 and 21 July 2020 were delivered in hard copy to the Chancellery in Caracas as well. At the time of publication, the Mission had not received any response to these letters. The Mission regrets not being able to meet with Venezuelan authorities, either within or outside of the country, to discuss issues of relevance to the Mission’s mandate. 7. The Mission had several constraints to the investigation, including lack of access to Venezuela and witness protection concerns. These constraints increased in March 2020 when the Covid-19 outbreak prevented the possibility of travel. The in-country movement 2