UN Authority Figures

UN General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security Vice-Chair: Venezuela


Two Venezuelan students and a National Guard sergeant died after being shot during protests against unpopular leftist President Nicolas Maduro, increasing turmoil in the volatile nation amid a devastating economic crisis. Photo: Protesters and police clashing.
Source: Reuters, April 19, 2017

Mission of the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security of the General Assembly: "The First Committee deals with disarmament, global challenges and threats to peace that affect the international community and seeks out solutions to the challenges in the international security regime." (General Assembly - Disarmament and International Security website, "First Committee")

Term of office: 2017-2018

Venezuela's Record on Disarmament and International Security:
"Principal human rights abuses reported during the year included... indiscriminate police action against civilians leading to widespread arbitrary detentions, unlawful deprivation of life, and torture;.... The government arrested and imprisoned opposition figures and showed little respect for judicial independence or generally did not permit judges to act according to the law without fear of retaliation... Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the media, and government agencies reported extrajudicial killings by police and security forces; torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions and lack of due process rights that contributed to widespread violence, riots, injuries, and deaths in prisons;... corruption and impunity in the police; arbitrary arrests and detentions; abuse of political prisoners;... Although the government did not release statistics on extrajudicial killings, NGOs reported that national, state, and municipal police entities, as well as the armed forces and government-supported paramilitary groups, known as "colectivos," carried out such killings during the year." (US State Department's Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2016, Venezuela)

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