UN Rights Council: Ethiopia Urges Members to Vote against Politically Motivated Special Session

ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia has called on members of the UN Human Rights Council to categorically reject and vote against the special session and its politically motivated outcome.

The call came after reports today claim that the council, at the urgent request of the European Union, plans to host a special session on Ethiopia this week.

“Ethiopia once again is perplexed and saddened by the regrettable situation that is unfolding at the” Council in Geneva, said ministry of foreign affairs in a statement today.

The EU made the request despite the UN-Ethiopia joint investigation team, which made its findings public last month, and the commitment expressed by the Government to implement the recommendations set forth in the report.

“Some in the Human Rights Council, who have utter disregard for the efforts made and work done by the Government, have felt the need to call for a special session with the aim to have some sort of an outcome to achieve what seems to be a politically motivated objective,” the ministry said.

This, it said, is not the first time Ethiopia witnessed “such unjust and counterproductive attempt by some to exert political pressure”.

Even when the joint investigation was ongoing, the same EU-led countries went on to adopt a resolution at the 47th Session of the Council.

That move neither involved the country concerned nor considered the call by others to withdraw the resolution, according to the ministry.

After the release of the investigation report, the Ethiopian government welcomed the findings “as an important document that complements our on-going effort to provide redress to victims, ensure accountability”.

It has already established a High-Level Inter-Ministerial task force to implement the investigation team’s recommendations .

“What is even more disheartening is the fact that, in the midst of these important undertakings, and with utter disregard for the work that has been done prior to the commencement of the joint investigation, some members still choose to advance their political agenda through the work of the Council,” the Ministry said.

“Ethiopia therefore calls on members of the Human Rights Council to categorically reject and vote against the special session and its politically motivated outcome,” it added.

“What should have been a priority for the Council instead was the urgent task of carrying out an investigation into the violations of human rights and atrocities committed by the TPLF terrorist group in the Afar and Amhara Regional States,” the Ministry continued.

“It is unfortunate to witness that no such call has come forth from some in the Council. This has to be immediately rectified,” it added.

The ministry has also assured members of the Human Rights Council and the international community of government’s commitment to continue to engage in a constructive manner and fulfill its obligations under international law to respect, and protect human rights.

The 18 Member States to the Human Rights Council, the United Nations body, are Argentina, Benin, Cameroon, Eritrea, Finland, Gambia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar, Somalia, United Arab Emirates and the United States.