A/HRC/RES/32/24
Welcoming further the meeting held between the Government of Eritrea and the
members of the technical assessment mission undertaken by the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, including the mission from 1 to 5 February
2016, while concerned at their limited access to the country, and encouraging further such
missions,
Commending the commission of inquiry on human rights in Eritrea for completing
its work in a transparent, impartial and consultative manner while regretting the continued
lack of cooperation by the Government of Eritrea with the commission of inquiry and the
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, including the lack of access
to the country,
Welcoming the work of the commission of inquiry on human rights in Eritrea, and
taking note of its report and recommendations,1
Emphasizing that everyone has the right to take part in the conduct of public affairs
of his or her country, directly or through freely chosen representatives, and expressing
grave concern that national elections in Eritrea have not been held since 1993 and that the
Constitution of 1997 has never been implemented,
Expressing deep concern at the commission’s findings that there are reasonable
grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed in Eritrea since 1991,
Expressing deep concern also at the commission’s findings that Eritrean officials
have committed and continue to commit the crimes of enslavement, imprisonment,
enforced disappearance, torture, other inhumane acts, persecution, rape and murder,
Noting with deep concern the commission’s findings regarding crimes involving
human rights violations, committed by government and ruling party officials, military
commanders and members of the National Security Office,
Noting the commission’s identification of individual suspects and careful
maintenance of relevant information that may assist future accountability efforts,
Noting with grave concern the continued use by the Government of Eritrea of
arbitrary arrest and detention, including incommunicado detention in extremely harsh and
life-threatening conditions, of persons suspected of evasion of national service, attempting
to flee the country or having a family member who has fled, inability to produce identity
documents, exercising the right to freedom of religion, freedom of opinion, being perceived
as critical of the Government, and of those who return to the country, and those detained in
the aftermath of the takeover on 21 January 2013 of the building of the Ministry of
Information,
Noting with regret the use of conscripts as forced labour in a wide range of
economic activities,
Welcoming the release by the Government of Eritrea, following the mediation of the
Government of Qatar, of four Djiboutian prisoners of war on 18 March 2016, while
recalling that 13 other Djiboutian prisoners of war are still detained in Eritrea,
Expressing grave concern at the widespread use of indefinite conscription into
national/military service, a system that constitutes forced labour, and the reported forced
conscription of children under the age of 18 into military service, and regretting that the
fear and experience of a lengthy national service causes large numbers of Eritreans to leave
the country,
1
2
A/HRC/32/47.