To Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (Geneva, Switzerland)
8 October 2026
Ethiopia: The Human Rights Council should convene a special session to address the quickly deteriorating human rights situation and prevent further atrocity crimes
Excellencies,
As armed hostilities have resumed on a large scale in Ethiopia, with risks of repetition of the atrocity crimes documented during the 2020-2022 conflict, we, the undersigned civil society organisations, urge the Human Rights Council to urgently convene a special session on the human rights impact of the conflict. At the session, we urge the adoption of a resolution requesting the Council’s President to appoint an advisory panel of experts, drawn from the pool of existing independent UN and African human rights experts, to undertake a swift assessment, compile a summary report, and make recom-mendations on steps the Council could take to address the human rights situation in Ethiopia.
The Council should stand ready to take further action, as appropriate, to address any developments in Ethiopia or the sub-region, send a message of deterrence to all actors, and indicate that those responsible for perpetrating, ordering or facilitating violations should be held accountable.