A/HRC/RES/26/24 Expressing grave concern at the widespread use of indefinite conscription into national service, a system that constitutes forced labour, and the reported forced conscription of children under the age of 18 into military service, and regretting that the fear and experience of a lengthy national service causes large numbers of Eritreans to leave the country, Expressing grave concern also at reports that the Government of Eritrea is also forcing persons to participate in its citizen militia, Reaffirming that everyone has the right to leave any country, including his or her own, and to return to his or her country, Noting the participation of Eritrea in the second cycle of the universal periodic review, while regretting the lack of implementation by Eritrea of the recommendations made at its first review, Noting also the efforts of Eritrea to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and to promote gender equality and progress on reducing and eliminating female genital mutilation, while stressing that sustainable social changes are linked with the establishment of a conducive political and legal environment, Recalling the obligations of Eritrea under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Expressing continued concern at the failure of the Government of Eritrea to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, including its refusal to allow the Special Rapporteur to visit the country, 1. Welcomes the second report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea1 and its focus on indefinite national service constituting a form of forced labour, and arbitrary arrest and detention; 2. Strongly condemns: (a) The continued widespread and systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms committed by the Eritrean authorities, including cases of arbitrary and extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, the use of torture, arbitrary and incommunicado detention without recourse to justice, and detention in inhumane and degrading conditions; (b) The severe restrictions on freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of information, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and freedom of peaceful assembly and association, including the detention of journalists, human rights defenders, political actors, religious leaders and practitioners in Eritrea; (c) The forced conscription of citizens for indefinite periods of national service, a system that amounts to forced labour, and the compulsory practice of all children undertaking the final year of schooling in a military training camp, as well as the intimidation and detention of those suspected of evading national service in Eritrea and their family members; (d) The forced participation of citizens in the militia, and the detention of those suspected of not participating in it; 1 2 A/HRC/26/45.