Print this page

UN Human Rights Council Receives Yet another Grim Report on Eritrea

2020-02-27 06:50:57 Written by  EPDP Information Office Published in EPDP News Read 2421 times
Rate this item
(0 votes)

UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights on Eritrea, Ms Daniela Kravetz, told the 43rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council on 26 February 2020 that Eritrea is refusing to make any progress whatsoever in basic human rights of its own people.

She said the fact that thousands of Eritreans are fleeing their country is a “telling sign of no progress” in the political and human rights situation in the country.

Since receiving the mandate nearly two years, Ms Kravetz submitted five benchmarks that Eritrea could start making some progress. These include:

  1. Showing progress in rule of law
  2. Making reform on the national service
  3. Progress in promoting civil liberties
  4. Progress in women’s rights and gender equality, and
  5. Improving operating environment for international agencies in Eritrea.

Ms Kravetz’s oral report underlined that Eritrea failed to make any progress even in these few starting benchmarks. The Asmara authorities also continued to refuse her a single visit to Eritrea as they did for six years to the previous UN Special Rapporteur, Ms Sheila Keetharuth.

She also reported that the Eritrean regime is continuing its persecution of all faiths in Eritrea and confiscating their schools and health facilities. See full report on the interactive dialogue that followed her presentation: http://webtv.un.org/live/watch/id-sr-on-human-rights-in-eritrea-9th-meeting-43rd-regular-session-human-rights-council/6136241213001/?term=

Twenty-one delegations of member states and four international NGOs made quick interventions at the interactive dialogue on Eritrea. The European Union and many other speakers saw “no sign of change” in the behavior of the Eritrean regime; Australia regretted that none of the 131 recommendations Eritrea promised to work on have been given a try; Vatican asked for dialogue with Eritrea and hoped the regime would stop the war against charities and Germany saw civil space continually narrowing in Eritrea. A number of speakers expressed their conviction that the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights for Eritrea is already a given fact.

Eritrea’s envoy, the usual Tesfamichael Gerhatu, presented his usual words of denial and was supported by the delegates of Venezuela, Cuba, Russia and China.

Ms Kravetz will present her full written report at the upcoming 44th Session of the Council in June this year which is expected review her mandate and highly probably extent it for another year.

Last modified on Thursday, 27 February 2020 07:53