When: Friday, 27. November 2009
To: Wednesday, 2. December 2009
Where: Geneva, UN Human Rights Council
Host: HRHF Geneva
Contact: Niels Jacob Harbitz, Regional Manager for East and Horn of Africa, HRHF (niels.jacob@humanrightshouse.org / +47 915 26 584)
The five organisations / networks behind the report are: Eritrean Global Solidarity – USA and Canada, Network of Eritrean Civil Societies – Europe, Suwera Center for Human Rights – Sudan, the Eritrean Community in Australia Inc., and Eritrean Australian Mercy Association Inc. The presence of representatives of these organisations / networks at the UN Human Rights Council is the culmination of a carefully coordinated effort, which began with the submission of a jointly produced report for the deadline of NGO submissions, all the way back in April.
Submitted on behalf of the coalition by the California based Awate Foundation, the report addresses the main human rights issues in Eritrea, in most cases with recommendations on how to improve the situation.
UNHCHR’s consolidated report, drawing on all 17 NGO submissions received on Eritrea, draws heavily on the coalition’s report, referred to as JS 1 (Joint Submission 1).
In the build-up to the actual review, members of the coalition were flown in early to meet with representatives of several national missions, to present the joint report and request for particular recommendations made in the report to be integrated in the respective missions’ interventions.
