Eritrea Human Rights Tender

The Human Rights Council this morning concluded its interactive dialogue on the report of the High Commissioner on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem and the obligation to ensure accountability and justice. The Council then held an enhanced interactive dialogue on human rights in Eritrea and began an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan.In the enhanced interactive dialogue on human rights in Eritrea Nada Al-Nashif Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights said the human rights situation in Eritrea remained dire and showed no sign of improvement. It continued to be characterised by serious human rights violations with credible reports of torture arbitrary detention inhumane conditions of detention enforced disappearances and restrictions of the rights to freedoms of expression of association and of peaceful assembly. It was alarming that all these human rights violations were committed in the context of complete impunity. Eritrea had not taken any demonstrable steps to ensure accountability for past and ongoing human rights violations. The Eritrean Government needed to engage on critical human rights issues through dialogue with the Office and extending full cooperation to international human rights mechanisms.Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea said they had no evidence which indicated any progress in the human rights situation in the country although the mandate on Eritrea had passed more than a decade since 2012. He was gravely concerned about the situation of many Eritreans who had been arbitrarily detained and some disappeared in secret prisons for more than two decades and urged Eritrea to reveal the whereabouts of victims of enforced disappearance to their relatives and to develop a transparent and efficient system for the registration of detainees. Mr. Babiker regretted that the Government of Eritrea continued to oppose his mandate and that visit requests remained unanswered.Adem Osman Idris Permanent Representative of Eritrea to the United Nations Office at Geneva said Eritrea was committed to the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all its citizens through its commitment to social justice despite unremitting external hostilities which continued to harass the country. The mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights in Eritrea as well as others were part of this harassment with the aim of advancing political motives and agenda a weaponisation of human rights in its crudest form against a developing country. Eritrea continued to make substantial improvements in human rights for its citizens including in healthcare and education implementing serious programmes for soil improvement and to mitigate climate change. Eritrea would persist on its development agenda despite the unwarranted harassment by certain powers.Vanessa Tsehaye a civil society activist from Eritrea said her uncle was imprisoned in Eritrea because he was part of a group of journalists and politicians trying to stop the dictatorship. The situation in Eritrea was extremely dire there were no elections no parliament no universities no independent media and no opposing political parties. All capable Eritreans were forced to serve the government professionally. There were countless people imprisoned for opposing the government and no people were allowed to visit them. Many people were imprisoned indefinitely and faced inhumane conditions. This was an illegal war which had damaged too many Eritreans and caused immeasurable damage.In the discussion on Eritrea some speakers said they were seriously concerned about the human rights situation in Eritrea which required continuous international scrutiny and monitoring. Some speakers called on the Council to extend the Special Rapporteurs mandate. A number of speakers called on Eritrea to immediately end the collective punishment of relatives of those who absconded military service and to reform its indefinite military service system. The Eritrean Government was called on to address all human rights violations including arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances inhumane prison conditions and wide-spread sexual and gender-based violence as reported by the Special Rapporteur.Some speakers said they rejected mandates which alleged to promote human rights without the consent of the country concerned. This contradicted the spirit of the United Nations Charter and the Council and politicised the agendas of some countries under so-called enhanced interactive dialogue. The genuine willingness and preparedness of the Government of Eritrea for the promotion and protection of human rights should be taken into account and further encouraged. Speakers noted that Eritrea had cooperated actively with the Council providing timely information on its efforts to protect human rights.Speaking in the discussion on Eritrea were European Union Luxembourg on behalf of the Benelux countries France United States China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Venezuela Djibouti United Kingdom Sudan South Sudan Ethiopia Belarus Yemen Syria Iran Saudi Arabia Sri Lanka Ireland Nicaragua Russian Federation and Cuba.Also speaking were Christian Solidarity Worldwide East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project International Fellowship of Reconciliation Conscience and Peace Tax International CIVICUS - World Alliance for Citizen Participation Amnesty International Human Rights Watch and International Bar Association.