SUMMARY REPORT OF THE SENATE PLENARY SESSION OF APRIL 21, 2022 RELATING TO THE CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF 4 BILLS ON RATIFICATION

The year two thousand and twenty-two, on the twenty-first day of April, senators met in the Senate hemicycle for the 84^th plenary session of the sixth legislature to consider and adopt 4 ratification bills, namely:

• the bill on ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the agreement in the field of education between the Government of the Republic of Burundi and the Government of the Federal Republic of Brazil;
• the bill on ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the financing agreement n°D9640-BI between the Republic of Burundi and the International Development Association in favour of the COVID-19 preparedness and response project in Burundi -Additional Financing, signed in Bujumbura on January 28, 2022;
• the bill on ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the additional protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights relating to the rights of disabled people;
• the bill on ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the additional protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights relating to the rights of the elderly.

This session, which was chaired by the Senate Speaker, Right Honourable Emmanuel SINZOHAGERA, began at 8:48 a.m. with a prayer and was attended by 36 senators and 3 representatives of the Government, namely the Minister of National Education and Scientific Research, Mr François HAVYARIMANA; the Minister of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS, Mrs. Sylvie NZEYIMANA and the Minister of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender, Mrs. Imelde SABUSHIMIKE.

Opening the session, the Senate Speaker first welcomed the honourable senators and then submitted to them the amendment of the programme already adopted to integrate three other bills to be ratified. Then, he invited the Representatives of the Government to present the preambles of the aforementioned bills, one after the other, starting with the Minister having national education in his attributions.

In his presentation, His Excellency Dr. François HAVYARIMANA recalled that the agreement in the field of Education between Burundi and Brazil dates from 2018. In fact, by ratifying this agreement, Burundi will have contributed to the implementation of the Executive Programme of the Technical Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Burundi and the Government of the Federal Republic of Brazil.

For the Government Representative, Burundi will have contributed to the implementation of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2016-2025 (CESA 16-25) of which Burundi is a member.

For him, this is an opportunity to ratify it to meet the needs for knowledge, innovation and creativity necessary to boost sustainable development at the national, regional and international levels.

After the presentation of the preamble, the Right Honourable Senate Speaker gave the floor to the President of the standing committee in charge of the administrative, decentralization and control of representativeness in the Institutions issues (the referral committee), the Honourable Rénilde NDAYISHIMIYE, to present the report of this committee.

Thereafter, the Senate Speaker gave the floor to the Honourable senators to express themselves in general debate and ask clarification questions.

To the worry of senators as to why this kind of Agreement does not start at the fundamental and post-fundamental education levels since one ought to learn to walk before they run (Igiti kigororwa kikiri gito), the Minister replied that, considering the age of fundamental and post-fundamental education levels, it would be taking risks to send them to foreign schools. However, the Agreement remains open on other aspects, such as the school canteen programme in schools inspired by the Brazilian experience.

To the question to know what would be profitable between the two options: – Burundian students would go to study in Brazil or Brazilian teachers would come to Burundi to teach a large number of Burundian students-, the Minister said that the first option would be less demanding than the second.

Regarding the question to know whether in this agreement there are strategies envisaged so that students who go to study in Brazil can return to the country, the Minister reassured the Honourable senators by indicating that the Agreement provides for commitments on both sides. It is true, these cases of brain drain sometimes do not depend on them but, there are some who do it willingly, he specified. For the latter cases, Burundi has already taken restrictive measures and strategies have been taken for assistants and different officials of the ministries who go to study abroad.

At the end of the general debate, the first bill was unanimously adopted by 39 senators, among whom 36 present and 3 proxies.

The Senate Speaker invited then the Minister of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS, Mrs. Sylvie NZEYIMANA, to present the preamble of the second bill mentioned above.

In her presentation, the Minister made it known that the additional funding will come to support the efforts of the Government of Burundi to further strengthen its response to the COVID-19 pandemic by purchasing vaccines and supporting the acquisition of inputs for diagnosis and the management of COVID-19.

For the Minister, the Government’s objectives remain prevention, detection and response to the threat caused by Covid-19 as well as the strengthening of national health systems to prepare to deal with probable epidemics.

After the preamble, the Honourable Dévote FAIDA, President of the Standing Committee in charge of the issues of gender and relations with the Legislative Assembly of the East African Community (the referral committee), was invited by the Right Honourable Senate Speaker, to present the report of this committee.

After this presentation, the Senate Speaker gave the floor to the Honourable senators to express themselves in the general debate.

Given that the duration of the vaccines is very short, the Honourable senators wanted to know the mechanisms envisaged for the conservation of those vaccines as there are problems of electrification in the communes. To that concern, the representative of the Government indicated that vaccines will be ordered following the need, and the remaining budget will be allocated to other needs.

After the questions and contributions of the senators, the second bill was submitted to vote and it was unanimously adopted by 39 senators, among whom 36 present and 3 proxies.

After a short break, the Senate Speaker invited the Minister in charge of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender, who had represented the Government to present the preamble for the third bill (bill on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the additional protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights relating to the rights of persons with disabilities) which was on the agenda.

Taking the floor, the Minister made it known that the lack of measures to guarantee the protection of the rights of people with disabilities, the fight against discrimination and violence against these people has always been one of the concerns of the African Union (A.U).

For the Government Representative, this project had the objective of promoting, protecting and ensuring the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and all fundamental freedoms inherent to persons with disabilities. This has awakened the commitment of African States to requalify and reconsider the value of every human being without distinction of any kind, in the protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights relating to the rights of persons with disabilities, during the thirtieth ordinary session of the conference held on January 29, 2018 in Addis-Ababa.

For Madam Minister, the ratification by Burundi of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights relating to the rights of persons with disabilities will usefully and sufficiently fill the gaps in the international legal arsenal in the area of ​​human rights  in general and those of disabled people in particular.

Before closing his preamble, the Government Representative specified that this bill will take appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures to implement the rights recognized in this protocol by strengthening integration and non-discrimination, which will allow them full access to all the resources of society, on the basis of equality with others, while guaranteeing their integration and their autonomy, as well as ensuring the well-being of this category of people.

After the preamble, the Honorable Benoîte NIZIGIYIMANA, President of the Standing Committee in charge of Institutional, Legal and Fundamental Rights and Freedoms issues, was invited by the Right Honourable Speaker of the Senate, to present the report of her committee.

After this presentation, the Senate Speaker gave the floor to the Honourable senators so that they could express themselves in the framework of the general debate.

On the concern of the senators to know what the Government envisages so that the deaf-mute can attend the university like others and to know if there is a known number of deaf-mute in our country, Madam Minister indicated to the Honourable senators that there are deaf-mutes who have a level of academic education with the support of the UWIRAGIYE Foundation. With regard to the database of the deaf-mute, the Minister indicated that it is necessary to wait for the data of the General Census of the population in preparation.

After the concerns, questions and contributions of the senators, the third bill was submitted to the vote and it was adopted unanimously by 39 senators, including 36 present and 3 proxies.

After having adopted this third bill under analysis, the Right Honourable Emmanuel SINZOHAGERA, gave, for the second time, the opportunity to the Minister of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender, Madam Imelde SABUSHIMIKE to present the preamble of the fourth bill (on the ratification by the Republic of Burundi of the additional protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights relating to the rights of the elderly) which was on the of the day.

Reading the preamble, the Government Representative indicated that the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of the elderly represents a significant step forward in the measures taken by the international community to eliminate discrimination faced by the elderly.

For the Minister, the idea of ​​having a legal instrument governing the rights of the elderly was born from the observation that people of the third age are becoming socially marginalized and come up against many constraints.

Also, the ratification of this protocol by our country will allow better management of the care of senior citizens from an economic, health and social point of view.

For her, state and non-state actors play an important role in the development and implementation of norms within communities. From the political level to the family level through the community level, the country has real reasons to ratify the Protocol to the African Charter of Human Rights relating to the rights of the elderly.

For the Minister, it is clear that the elderly do not receive the attention that their situation requires. He specified that old age rhymes with misery and precariousness and, the State will have to take measures to relieve the elderly. In addition, with the implementation of the national social protection policy, some of the expectations of this target will be met, she said.

Before concluding his remarks, the Government Representative indicated that by ratifying this protocol to the African Charter on Human Rights on the rights of the elderly adopted in Addis Ababa on January 31, 2016, the Government of Burundi will have the means to help this category of elderly people regain their former status, which has been completely degraded in the community.

After the presentation of the preamble, the Honourable Benoîte NIZIGIYIMANA, President of the Standing Committee in charge of Institutional, Legal and Fundamental Rights and Freedoms Issues, which had been referred to, was invited by the Right Honourable Senate Speaker, to present the report of that commission.

After the presentation, the Senate Speaker gave the floor to the Honourable senators so that they could ask any question to the Minister in the framework of the general debate.

Upon being asked why there should be the creation of centres for the elderly instead of helping them while being in their families, the Minister replied that there are no centres for the supervision of the elderly. The Government only supports that the elderly stay with their respective families she clarified.

After the questions and contributions of the senators, the fourth bill was submitted to the vote and it was adopted unanimously by 39 senators among whom 36 present and 3 proxies.

The session, which took place in a climate of total understanding, ended at 12:30 p.m with a prayer.