A/HRC/23/53 105. During the initial period of the mandate, the Special Rapporteur concentrated on ensuring access to Eritrea and opening up channels of communications with the Government, gathering information on the human rights violations, and engaging with a broad spectrum of interlocutors to gather information about the human rights situation in Eritrea, primarily with victims. 106. The Special Rapporteur would like to focus on three priority areas and relative action points in the delivery of the mandate in the medium term: (a) standards; To respect, protect and fulfil internationally recognized human rights (i) To revoke the shoot-to-kill policy when people cross borders; (ii) To release all prisoners detained without charge or trial, including those detained because of their political or religious beliefs; (iii) To put a stop to torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; (iv) To put an immediate end to indefinite national service; (v) To give effect to the right to freedom of expression and opinion, and of assembly and association; (b) To restore and respect the rule of law; (i) To strengthen democratic governance institutions; (ii) To guarantee the independence and impartiality of the justice system to combat impunity; (iii) To take legislative, administrative, institutional and practical measures to give effect to the rule of law; (c) To ratify international human rights standards and to cooperate with United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms; B. (i) To ratify international human rights treaties (such as the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance) without further delay; and to give effect to the right to freedom of expression and opinion, and of assembly and association; (ii) To cooperate with United Nations human rights treaty bodies and special procedures, including with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea; (iii) To cooperate with regional human rights mechanisms. Recommendations 107. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government of Eritrea: (a) Respect all obligations under international human rights treaties to which Eritrea is a party, and ratify and implement other international human rights instruments, in particular the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance; 19