Last summer, after years of campaigning with supporters like you, we won a major victory for the Eritrean people. On 5 July 2012 the UN Human Rights Council voted to appoint a Special Rapporteur, an expert who will investigate the infamous human rights situation in Eritrea.

This week the UN will decide whether to renew the Special Rapporteur’s mandate. It’s absolutely vital that the mandate is renewed – and that’s where you come in.

It was your prayers that brought the breakthrough last summer, and it’s your prayers that will help get the Special Rapporteur’s mandate renewed so she can continue her vital work, alerting the UN to the realities of a country with tens of thousands of prisoners of conscience, including up to 3,000 Christians.

The vote will take place this week, so please pray!

This week please:

• Thank God for the appointment last July of the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea, Ms Sheila Keetharuth, after years of joint lobbying and prayer;
• Pray that the Human Rights Council will renew her mandate;
• Ask God to give her wisdom as she works to report honestly on a heartbreaking situation;
• Pray that the work she’s done over the last year will prove valuable as the UN holds Eritrea to account for its human rights abuses;
• Pray that the Eritrean Government would allow her to visit the country so she can see the situation at first hand;
• Ask God to guide Matthew Jones, CSW’s Senior Public Affairs Officer as he works with the UN on Eritrea;
• Pray for encouragement for Eritrean church leaders, leading underground congregations in one of the most oppressive countries for Christians, and for those leading churches for refugees.
• Watch the video – visit www.csw.org.uk/eritrea to watch an interview with Matthew Jones, CSW’s Senior UN Advocate, about the day the UN appointed the Special Rapporteur.