UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 54th session
Item 10 - General Debate on Technical assistance and capacity-building
Joint Statement
10 October 2023
Mr. President,
I am making this statement on behalf of a group of countries.
We are deeply concerned about the latest findings of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts in Ethiopia (ICHREE) and others that human rights violations and abuses continue to be committed in Ethiopia, notably in Tigray, Amhara, Afar and Oromia, and that the situation across the country continues to bear the risks of future atrocity crimes. The persistent presence of Eritrean troops in northern Ethiopia is also a cause of concern.
Credible transitional justice and accountability processes are crucial to ensuring lasting peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia.
We acknowledge the steps taken to date but regret that the Government of Ethiopia did not see the benefits of requesting the Council's support to further strengthen the capacity of the Office of the High Commissioner to provide advice and technical assistance to the country. This would have sent a signal of strong commitment and transparent international cooperation.
We note the Government’s strong commitment to bring forward a solid Transitional Justice Policy Framework by November 2023 and expect the Government to fulfil that commitment.
We call upon the Government of Ethiopia to ensure that the future policy meets regional and international human rights standards. This includes the establishment of robust independent, impartial and transparent mechanisms to implement the transitional justice policy, preserve evidence, conduct investigations into all allegations of human rights violations and abuses, and violations of international humanitarian law, and prosecute those responsible.
The coming months are critical in terms of making tangible progress, in view also of the next session of this Council.
We call upon Ethiopia and the Office to swiftly deploy the full complement of international human rights monitors to northern Ethiopia to which the Government of Ethiopia agreed in March 2023.
We furthermore invite the High Commissioner to keep the Council updated on the assistance that his Office is providing, as well as on the implementation of the recommendations of the Joint Investigative Team and the ICHREE.
The transitional justice and accountability process must not fail.
List of countries:
Albania
Andorra
Austria
Belgium
Canada
Croatia
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
New Zealand
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Moldova
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland