UN Mandate for Human Rights Body Investigating Tigray Conflict Urged by Organizations

A coalition of 60 civil and human rights organizations, led by Human Rights Watch (HRW), issued a plea to the United Nations, on Tuesday, to deny Ethiopia’s request to terminate the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE).

In the call, the groups highlighted the need for ICHREE to remain in place to investigate human rights abuses in the Ethiopia-Tigray conflict, given Ethiopians’ lack of faith in official institutions.
HRW stated that Ethiopia’s efforts to end the mandate of the International Commission on Human Rights and Equity (ICHREE) before its term was up were unprecedented.

This suggests that states could use political means to overturn the decisions of the Human Rights Council in order to avoid independent oversight and accountability.
The International Commission of Human Rights and the Rule of Law (ICHREE) was established by the United Nations Human Rights Council in December 2021 and given the task of investigating and recording human rights abuses.

In October 2022, ICHREE’s mandate was extended for another year. In March 2023, the commission is expected to present an oral report to the UN.
Despite opposition from the Ethiopian government, a coalition of international human rights organizations and the Addis Standard newspaper have urged the international community to reject Ethiopia’s resolution to dissolve ICHREE.
These organizations hope that ICHREE can provide justice to victims of the Tigray conflict, which has spread to the Amhara and Afar regions.