This statement was delivered during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea on 13 March 2017.

The United Kingdom would like to thank the Special Rapporteur for her work.

The UK shares her concerns on the human rights situation in Eritrea and that the international community’s engagement with Eritrea is important to achieving human rights reform.

In this regard, the UK continues to call on the Government of Eritrea to honour its international human rights obligations and to cooperate fully with the UN human rights system. The UK continues to encourage the Government of Eritrea to allow the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Eritrea access to the country.

We do welcome Eritrea’s renewed engagement with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and look forward to increased engagement in the future. We especially welcome the government agreeing a 4-year implementation programme with the United Nations Development Programme to take forward the recommendations of the 2014 Universal Periodic Review.

We also hope to see progress made on the wider peace and security situation, including on the resolution of the border dispute.

In our increased bilateral engagement, we have made clear that we want to see tangible improvements in the country’s human rights, through amendment of Eritrea’s national service system, implementation of its constitution and the release of those subject to arbitrary detention.

We would like to ask the Special Rapporteur how she plans to engage with UNDP to take forward the UPR recommendations?

We would also like to ask the Special Rapporteur for her views on how else the international community can work with Eritrea to improve human rights?