Ethiopia has defended its mixed voting record at the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), insisting its “principled” opposition to “country-specific” resolutions even as it voted differently across several country-focused mandates during the session.
Ambassador Nebiyat Getachew, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Ethiopia completed its first leadership mandate as Vice President of the 47-member Council while serving its third term as a member. The session, held in Geneva from 02 -31 March 2026, saw the adoption of 38 resolutions addressing global human rights issues, including country-specific mandates.
The spokesperson said Ethiopia maintains “a long-standing” position against country-specific resolutions, arguing that such mechanisms risk infringing on national sovereignty and may be used to exert political pressure on states.
He recalled Ethiopia’s own experience during the war in the Tigray region, when the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) was established despite Addis Abeba’s objections.
