Statement by Eritrean Delegation on the 58th Session of the Human Rights Council
Posted: 27 Feb 2025, 19:03
General
Statement by Eritrean Delegation on the 58th Session of the Human Rights Council
Feb 27, 2025
https://shabait.com/2025/02/27/statemen ... s-council/
Statement delivered during the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Eritrea
58th Session of the Human Rights Council
27 February 2025
Mr. President,
Every year, this Enhanced Interactive Dialogue unfolds like a well-rehearsed, seasonal show, with the cast stepping onto the stage, each in their assigned roles. The script plays out almost identically to previous years as the dialogue begins. The show has crawled around for twelve years on the central premise of holding a sovereign state accountable. But much like a well-worn drama, the plot twists and turns, but ultimately, it circles back to familiar tactics of naming and shaming. As the drama persists, one thing becomes painfully clear: the glaring hypocrisy and bias in this Council’s application of country-specific mandates. Sadly, the scene still drags on, teasing the possibility of something meaningful without ever delivering.
Mr. President
At its very core, this show stumbles around a flimsy central premise: the gall to hold Eritrea, a proud nation of 3.6 million, to the whims of unaccredited, self-styled human rights crusaders. In this absurd exercise, a nation forged in sacrifice and tempered by resilience is cast as pariahs.
When in fact, Eritrea’s fight for independence was a struggle for human rights and justice—a struggle against oppression, a struggle against exploitation, and systemic violations. Ample evidence reveals Eritrea’s long history of severe injustice and human suffering under colonial rule. Tragically, even today, Eritrea faces ongoing deliberate brutalization through political and diplomatic sabotage, human trafficking, illegal unilateral sanctions, and other unjust and immoral measures.
Distinguished delegates,
Despite this, Eritrea, for years, has openly engaged with credible UN agencies. Yet, that goodwill is smothered by these theatrical sham trials, where our reality—our strides in literacy, healthcare, and infrastructure despite sanctions and encirclement—is drowned by biased and rhetorical narratives.
This deliberate misrepresentation is not only unjust but also profoundly ironic. A simple yet undeniable reality further underscores the absurdity of this spectacle. While this platform is repeatedly used to present exaggerated and misleading portrayals of Eritrea, a fully operational UN Country Office continues to function in Asmara. Where your colleagues constructively engage on a daily basis with our government executing tangible development initiatives.
Yet, the oral reports presented today—like those before them—persist in disregarding the more accurate and nuanced picture of the country’s progress and challenges as reported by the UN country office.
Mr. President
Distinguished Delegates,
Interjections come from our detractors, often circling back to the same pointless and hallow allegations raised against Eritrea in the past. What is meant to be a compelling debate has become a theatrical exercise in futility, a pantomime where the only suspense lies in whether anyone will tune in next year.
Nevertheless, Eritrea stands apart, not as a player in this farce, but as a nation above it, unbowed by colonial echoes, unshaken by hollow critiques, and unmoved by the clatter of an empty stage. Our script is written in the resilience of our people, not the whims of this specific mandate.
I thank you.
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Closing Remarks delivered during the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Eritrea
58th Session of the Human Rights Council
27 February 2025
Mr. President,
As I mentioned in my opening remarks, what was once intended to be a one-time session has morphed into a long-running saga, with predictable plotlines and occasional recurring characters. In the process, we have lost appetite for giving responses that we have aptly delivered countless times before in response to the baseless allegations from Eritrea’s detractors, some of whom are openly avowed regime-change operatives.
At this juncture, while we acknowledge that the High Commissioner’s Office is fulfilling a mandate it has been tasked to execute, we urge members of the office to act responsibly, nonetheless. It is deeply troubling that, the Assistant High Commissioner continues to present updates based reports recycled mainly from previous mandates, reiterating false allegations. Regrettably, if this pattern persists it will only undermine constructive dialogue and strain the relationship we are striving to build. We have repeatedly expressed our willingness to engage openly and honestly with the Office of High Commissioner.
Mr. President,
Eritrea is not a nation that shirks accountability. Despite immense challenges, we have made significant strides in education, health, and social equality—achievements consistently overlooked by the special mandate’s narrow perspective. We invite genuine partnership and cooperation, not finger-pointing and condemnation. The Special mandate, however, offers neither. It remains a relic of a flawed approach that prioritizes geopolitics over progress.
This mandate also undermines the fundamental principle of national sovereignty, a cornerstone of the United Nations Charter. As a sovereign state, Eritrea has the right and responsibility to address its internal affairs without undue external interference. The imposition of a Special procedures—without Eritrea’s consent—disregards this principle and treats our nation as a subject of neo-colonial oversight rather than an equal member of the international community.
Human rights, Mr. President, should not serve as a pretext for meddling in domestic governance; they must be pursued through dialogue and mutual respect, not through unilateral dictates from this Council masquerading as moral authority.
In closing, Eritrea stands ready to engage as an equal partner, not a target. The onus is on the Council. We urge Member States to act decisively to terminate this mandate at the 59th session of the Human Rights Council in June.
I thank you.
