A/HRC/RES/20/20
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
17 July 2012
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Twentieth session
Agenda item 4
Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
20/20.
Situation of human rights in Eritrea
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other relevant international
human rights instruments,
Recalling resolution 91 and decisions 250/2002 and 275/2003 of the African
Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights,
Recalling also Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, on institution-building of the
Council, and 5/2, on the code of conduct for special procedures mandate holders of the
Council, of 18 June 2007, and stressing that the mandate holder shall discharge his or her
duties in accordance with those resolutions and the annexes thereto,
Expressing deep concern at the ongoing reports of grave violations of human rights
by the Eritrean authorities against their own population and fellow citizens, including
violations of civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights, and
the alarming number of civilians fleeing Eritrea as a result of those violations,
Expressing grave concern at the 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 its universal periodic review,
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,
GE.12-15418
The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of
the Council on its twentieth session (A/HRC/20/2), chap. I.