Source: www.csw.org.uk
Date: August 8, 2020
‘The battle is not yours, but God’s…Take your positions, then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory.’ (2 Chronicles 20:15b,17b NLT)
On 16 July we saw a victory at the UN, when the Human Rights Council voted to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea for another year. Join us to thank God for his mercy and victory!
Eritrean officials are deemed to have been committing crimes against humanity, the most serious human rights abuses, since 1991. Human rights are regularly violated – yet Eritrea is in its second year as a member of the Human Rights Council (HRC). The Special Rapporteur (SR) is the UN’s expert on Eritrea’s human rights situation, and their work is the only independent, international way to monitor and expose the truth about how Eritrea treats its citizens. Ultimately, this is how the government can be held accountable.
‘Independent scrutiny is essential’
Every year the SR’s mandate comes up for renewal, and every year CSW staff and others work hard to persuade the 47 countries of the HRC to vote for renewal. This involves meeting country representatives (currently via online video call) to present our latest research on Eritrea, proving that the situation is still severe enough to warrant continued UN oversight.
Indefinite national service, arbitrary detentions, the absence of a valid constitution and rule of law, and severe restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, are just some of the features of life in Eritrea. The core group of HRC countries that took the resolution for renewal forward concluded that ‘independent HRC scrutiny is essential.’
After serving as SR for two years and creating benchmarks for Eritrea to fulfil as proof of its commitment to improve the human rights situation, SR Daniela Kravetz will be leaving in November. The selection process for her replacement is currently underway.
Until Eritrea respects and protects the human rights of all its citizens, the work of the SR will continue to be vital.
In summary, please pray:
• Thank God for the very welcome news that Eritrea’s human rights situation will continue to be investigated for another year.
• Pray for Daniela Kravetz as she moves on, for the right person to take her place, and for the new SR to receive the resources they need to do the job effectively.
• Pray that their work will lead to real and lasting change for Eritrea’s citizens, who have suffered so much for so long.