HRC62 - EU statement - Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Eritrea with the Special Representative on the situation of human rights in Eritrea
UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
62nd session
Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Eritrea with the Special Representative on the situation of human rights in Eritrea
15 June 2026
EU statement
Mr/Ms (Vice) President,
The EU thanks the Special Rapporteur for his efforts in support of human rights in Eritrea over the past six years. We reiterate our full support for the mandate, which remains essential to ensure independent monitoring, documentation and public reporting on the human rights situation in Eritrea. We regret the lack of cooperation by Eritrea with the mandate and continue to call on Eritrea to engage constructively and grant full and unhindered access. Furthermore, we call on all states to facilitate cooperation with the Special Rapporteur, where requested.
We welcome the release of some arbitrarily detained persons and call on the Government to continue the releases. The whereabouts of those disappeared in the past decades must be revealed. The EU notes some progress on economic and social rights in Eritrea, including related to health and education. We welcome continued efforts to reduce the prevalence of female genital mutilation and maternal mortality. The EU has welcomed Eritrea’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2025 and stands ready to support Eritrea in its swift implementation. The EU welcomes the recent OHCHR capacity building that was requested by Eritrea and encourages Eritrea to make full use of cooperation with OHCHR, including considering inviting further technical assistance and capacity building.
Nevertheless, we remain gravely concerned by the human rights situation in the country, as reported by the Special Rapporteur. The lack of progress in this area and persisting and structural impunity strongly underline the need to maintain monitoring and reporting on the situation and to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur.
We call on Eritrea to end the suppression of civil and political rights, including arbitrary and prolonged detention, enforced disappearance and torture, to ensure humane prison conditions, to create a safe and enabling civic space, to establish independent and transparent institutions and to ensure respect for the rule of law. In line with its international human rights obligations, Eritrea must uphold freedom of expression and opinion, freedom of peaceful assembly and association, as well as freedom of religion or belief, which remains an issue of concern in the Special Rapporteur’s reporting. We are also particularly concerned by transnational repression experienced by Eritreans in the diaspora, including targeting of human rights defenders and government critics, as reported by the Special Rapporteur.
The EU calls on Eritrea to end the continued practice of indefinite national/military service and arbitrary conscription, including the concerning alleged conscription of children, gender-based violence and forced labour, and respect the right to conscientious objection.
In line with OHCHR recommendations, we call on the Government of Eritrea to carry out credible, independent investigations into alleged violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law committed during and after the war in Tigray region of Ethiopia to provide justice to all victims.
The EU looks forward to enhancing dialogue with Eritrea, including on how to support national priorities for the improvement of the human rights situation in the country.
Mr Special Rapporteur, at the end of your term, how could states best support your successor in building on your work and further advancing accountability for past and ongoing human rights violations in Eritrea?
Thank you.