UN Human Rights Committee to review Ethiopia

The United Nations Human Rights Committee opened its 99^th Session in Geneva and will address the human rights situation of Ethiopia

Despite supporting four Ethiopian partner organisations to submit their joint report and participate in Geneva at last year’s Universal Periodic Review of their own country, the Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) did not provide any written information on Ethiopia to the Human Rights Committee that will adopt the list of issues” for the review of Ethiopia. “Out of the four Ethiopian partner organisations that we had for the UPR process culminating late last year, three no longer exist as human rights organisations, while the fourth has been forced to radically reduce its activity, not only in terms of amount, but more significantly, in terms of what kinds of issues it can engage in, and how it can do this”, explained Niels Jacob Harbitz (left), HRHF’s Manager for East and Horn of Africa.

Human Rights House Foundation’s Head of the Geneva office, Florian Irminger (right), participated in the NGO briefing at the opening of the 99^th Session of the Human Rights Committee, the 12 July 2010 (HRHF’s full statement). He explained to the Committee that “from now on, there is reason to believe that independent human rights work will only be done in a low-key, discrete manner, reactively, and mostly in terms of service provision to individual clients. In other words, what we are unlikely to see from now on is proactive human rights advocacy on any of the many pressing issues in the country. Neither will the remaining organisations be able to report as they used to on human rights violations, or network, co-operate or build coalitions. Indeed, following the introduction of the Societies and Charities Proclamation, it is hard to imagine any further open engagement on any human rights issue, from any remaining NGO.”

Ethiopia reviewed at the United Nations

Ethiopia has been reviewed at the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on 9 December 2009.

The Human Rights Committee will adopt the list of issues for the review of Ethiopia at its 99^thSession (12-30 July 2010). The Committee will most probably review Ethiopia in 2011. Due July 1994, the government sent its initial report on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on 28 July 2009.

The Committee against Torture will review Ethiopia at its 45^th Session (1-19 November 2010). Due April 1995, the government sent its initial report on the implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment the 28 July 2009.

Source;-Human Rights House Network

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