The UK delivered a statement during the Interactive
Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea and urged Eritrea
to take steps to address longstanding human rights concerns
expressed by the Human Rights Council.
The United Kingdom thanks the Special Rapporteur for his work and
his report on the human rights situation in Eritrea, which
remains deeply concerning.
We take this opportunity to again urge Eritrea to take steps to
address longstanding human rights concerns expressed by this
Council, including prioritising National Service reform,
releasing all those in arbitrary detention, and guaranteeing the
freedom of religion or belief for all faiths, and the freedoms of
expression and association. And we call on Eritrea to cooperate
with the mandate of the Special Rapporteur.
We are also disappointed by the continued lack of progress from
Eritrea in implementing recommendations it accepted during its
last Universal Periodic Review. We call on them to do so as a
priority.
Mr Vice President,
We continue to urge the Eritrean government to engage
constructively with the recommendations of the 3 November
UN-Ethiopian Human Rights Commission joint investigation report.
We also urge them to work both with the Human Rights Council
mandated mechanism, of 17 December 2021, to investigate and
redress the human rights violations and abuses committed during
the conflict in Ethiopia.
We are concerned that the recent increased tensions on the border
between Eritrea and the Tigray region of Ethiopia could lead to
further conflict,2 putting already vulnerable civilian
populations at even greater risk. We would expect all sides to
the conflict in Northern Ethiopia to respect international human
rights and international humanitarian law.
Special Rapporteur,
Will you consider engaging with the International Commission of
Human Rights Experts to share best practice, analysis and insight
on engaging on human rights in Eritrea?
