A/HRC/RES/23/21
Expressing grave concern at the compulsory practice of children undertaking their
final year of schooling in a military training camp,
Expressing grave concern also at the widespread use of indefinite conscription into
national service, a system that constitutes forced labour, and the forced conscription of
children under the age of 18 into military service,
Expressing grave concern further at the reported use of forced labour, including of
conscripts and minors in the mining industry,
Reaffirming that everyone has the right to leave any country, including his or her
own, and to return to his or her country,
Noting the participation of Eritrea in the first cycle of the universal periodic review,
Noting also the efforts of Eritrea to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and
to promote gender equality and progress on female genital mutilation, while stressing that
sustainable social changes are linked with the establishment of a conducive political and
legal environment,
Recalling the Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Vienna
Declaration and Programme of Action and international human rights treaties to which
States are party,
Recalling also the obligations of Eritrea under the African Charter on Human and
Peoples’ Rights and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child,
Expressing concern at the failure of the Government of Eritrea to cooperate with the
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea,
1.
Welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights in Eritrea;1
2.
Strongly condemns:
(a)
The continued, widespread and systematic violations of human rights and
fundamental freedoms committed by the Eritrean authorities, including cases of arbitrary
and extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, the use of torture, arbitrary and
incommunicado detention without recourse to justice, and detention in inhumane and
degrading conditions;
(b)
The severe restrictions on freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of
information, freedom of thought, conscience and religion and freedom of peaceful assembly
and association, including the detention of journalists, human rights defenders, political
actors and religious leaders and practitioners in Eritrea;
(c)
The forced conscription of citizens for indefinite periods of national service,
a system that amounts to forced labour, and the compulsory practice of all children
undertaking the final year of schooling in a military training camp, as well as the
intimidation and detention of family members of those suspected of evading national
service in Eritrea;
(d)
The severe restrictions on freedom of movement, including the arbitrary
detention of people caught attempting to flee the country or suspected of an intention to do
so;
1
2
A/HRC/23/53.