UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
57th session
General Debate Item 10
Joint Statement on the human rights situation in Ethiopia
Mr. Chair,
I am making this statement on behalf of a group of 45 countries.
We thank the Office of the High Commissioner for the update on the human rights situation in Ethiopia published on June 14th.
We welcome the lifting of the State of Emergency in the Amhara region and encourage all parties to engage in peaceful negotiations and dialogue in order to prevent further human rights violations and abuses, and restore peace in Amhara and Oromia.
With regard to Tigray, we call on all parties to implement the outstanding provisions of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.
We welcome the adoption of the Transitional Justice Policy and a roadmap to guide its implementation, and continue to stand ready to support Ethiopia in its efforts to ensure a credible, victim-centred, transparent and independent transitional justice process, in a manner consistent with regional and international human rights standards.
Ethiopia continues to face a challenging human rights situation. We are alarmed by the high number of human rights violations and abuses by both state and non-state actors as recorded by the Office. These include those involving arbitrary arrests and detentions, killings and injuries of civilians, torture, enforced disappearances, sexual and gender-based violence and attacks on civilian property.
The ongoing conflicts hamper further progress in Ethiopia, including on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. We are also concerned about the constraints on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and the silencing of journalists and civil society.
We encourage the Government of Ethiopia to take advantage to the fullest extent of the technical assistance available in the Office of the High Commissioner and encourage the Office to continue to monitor the situation and keep this Council informed.
Thank you.
Signed by:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- United States of America