A/HRC/29/41 59. Another serious effect of forced evictions is that they often increase or exacerbate gender inequality, whereas Millennium Development Goal 3 is aimed at promoting gender equality and empowering women. Forced evictions also lead to poor health, as they negatively affect the underlying determinants of health, which include adequate housing; this hampers the achievement of Goals 5 and 6, namely, to improve maternal health and to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Eritrea is generally noted as being on target to achieving Goal 4, on reducing child mortality, and Goals 5 and 6.33 60. Significantly, for target 7 (d), in respect of improving the lives of slum dwellers, the indicator was the proportion of households worldwide with access to secure tenure.34 Simply put, security of tenure acts as a legal protection against forced evictions for tenants or leaseholders. The importance of secure tenure in the realization of the Millennium Development Goals was also highlighted by the Millennium Project Task Force on Improving the Lives of Slum Dwellers when it declared that “meeting this challenge requires a plan for security of tenure, affordable access to land, basic services, and housing finance”.35 VI. Achievements since the establishment of the mandate 61. The present report is the third submitted by the Special Rapporteur while delivering on her mandate. It is therefore timely to look back in order to move forward, especially at this current juncture, given the recent submission to the Human Rights Council of the report of the commission of inquiry on Eritrea. 62. In her first report, the Special Rapporteur indicated that her approach to the mandate would be prudently optimistic, firm and bold, and that it would be incremental: she would first lay the foundation and then the building blocks for the full respect of international human rights law by the Government of Eritrea and the enjoyment of all human rights by all Eritreans. 63. Over the past three years the Special Rapporteur has devoted considerable time and effort to open up channels of communication with the Government of Eritrea. There has been no progress regarding her access to the country to conduct human rights-related investigations. Additionally, very little progress was recorded regarding dialogue on substantive human rights issues. Notwithstanding her inability to visit Eritrea, the Special Rapporteur has had sporadic opportunities for contact with the Eritrean representatives, and has continued to seek collaboration with the authorities to identify issues relating to human rights violations and mutually work on long-lasting remedial solutions. 64. To deliver on the mandate entrusted to her, the Special Rapporteur has concentrated on three priority areas and related action points that can serve as benchmarks to evaluate progress in the medium term. 65. The first priority area is focused on respecting, protecting and fulfilling internationally recognized human rights standards. The first action point identified was to have the “shoot to kill” policy at the borders revoked. Eritrea has consistently denied the 33 34 35 16 UNDP, “Health Millennium Development Goals report: innovations driving health MDGs in Eritrea” (September 2014). Available from www.er.undp.org. See http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Host.aspx?Content=indicators/officiallist.htm. See Millennium Project Task Force on Improving the Lives of Slum Dwellers, A Home in the City (UNDP, 2005), p. 3. Available from www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/Slumdwellerscomplete.pdf.