A/HRC/23/53 III. Methodology 8. Since the appointment of the Special Rapporteur, she has repeatedly expressed her wish to engage with the Government of Eritrea. In December 2012, she wrote to the President of Eritrea, explaining her intention to be guided by the international human rights norms and standards to which Eritrea is a party in the implementation of her mandate. In the hope that the Government of Eritrea would seize the opportunity to engage in a fresh and constructive dialogue on human rights issues brought to the fore by an array of stakeholders, the Special Rapporteur requested to visit Eritrea for consultations with relevant officials from the Government as well as a range of actors. Her aim was to assess the human rights situation on the ground first-hand and to explore jointly future avenues for the protection and promotion of human rights in the country. At the time of writing, a reply to her request was still pending. 9. The Special Rapporteur welcomed the opportunity of a meeting with a representative of the Government of Eritrea in Geneva in January 2013, during which she reiterated her request to be allowed access to the country. In addition, she met with the delegation of Eritrea attending the fifty-third ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, on 10 April 2013, where she reiterated her request for an invitation to visit Eritrea. Again, she regrets to report that, at the time of writing, the Government of Eritrea had not responded to her requests. 10. Owing to the lack of access, the Special Rapporteur decided to collect first-hand information from Eritreans who had recently left the country with a view to inform her assessment of the situation of human rights in Eritrea, by means of interviews with victims of human rights violations. Initially, she submitted visit requests to all neighbouring countries with a sizable Eritrean refugee population. Of the 11 requests sent, three positive responses were obtained, two Governments responded negatively and six Governments have not yet replied. 11. In view of the pressing deadlines for submission of the present report and the challenges faced in obtaining first-hand information, the Special Rapporteur accepted the invitations granted by the Governments of Djibouti and of Ethiopia to interview Eritrean refugees on their territory. 12. A positive reply from an additional country was much appreciated; however, as it was received when other arrangements had already been made, the Special Rapporteur would like to explore the possibility of rescheduling a visit at a later date. She also addressed a request to visit one European country to meet with the Eritrean diaspora there, a request that will be explored for a future report. 13. From 30 April to 9 May 2013, the Special Rapporteur carried out a mission to Djibouti and Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, she visited the main reception centre administered by the Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs in Endabaguna, and the Adi-Harush and Mai-Aini refugee camps in the Tigray region. In Djibouti, she met with urban refugees and those based in the Ali Addeh refugee camp, as well as military deserters detained at the Nagad Police Academy. The Special Rapporteur paid courtesy calls to the authorities in both countries. She would like to thank the Governments of Djibouti and of Ethiopia for their invitation and the cooperation and flexibility shown during her visit to their countries. 14. The Special Rapporteur also participated in the fifty-third ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, from 9 to 12 April 2013. She was able to present her vision of and approach to the mandate during a briefing with the members of the Commission. While in Banjul, she also addressed the NGO Forum preceding the session, and was invited to attend a side event, held on 10 April 2013, on the 4