Madam Chair,

China takes note of the presentation by Ms. KEETHARUTH.

China’s position on country-specific human rights issues is crystal clear: we oppose forcing through the establishment of country-specific mandates without the consent of the countries concerned, and believe that imposing an inquiry mechanism from outside is not helpful to the resolution of problems through dialogue and to the promotion and protection of human rights.

Eritrea has made steady progress in human rights in recent years, with particularly remarkable results in economic, social and cultural rights as it is one of eight African countries to have achieved the MDGs. Eritrea actively cooperated with UN Human Rights bodies, participated in two rounds of UPR and accepted 92 recommendations in the UPR reports. It signed an agreement with the UN on the implementation of these recommendations and accelerated its implementation efforts.

We call upon the international community to be objective when examining the difficulties and challenges facing Eritrea as a developing country in its efforts to promote and protect the human rights of its citizens. We call upon the international community to give a fair evaluation of its progress in this regard and abandon the practices of exerting pressure or naming and shaming. The international community should engage in constructive dialogue and provide Eritrea with more technical assistance and capacity building support.

Thank you, Madam Chair.