The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), led by Chief Commissioner Berhanu Adello, participated in the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), held in Geneva, Switzerland, from March 30 to April 01, 2026. The 3-days meeting included the GANHRI Bureau Meeting, the General Assembly, regional network meetings, as well as Knowledge Exchange sessions and the GANHRI Annual Conference.
On March 30, 2026, the Chief Commissioner participated in the Regional Meeting of the Network African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), which he currently serves as Vice-Chairperson. The following day, the Chief Commissioner took part in the General Assembly Meeting of GANHRI which included discussions on work of GANHRI, updates on NHRIs accreditation, and adoption of GANHRI’s workplan and budget.
The General Assembly was followed by an NHRI knowledge exchange session on “Protection and Inclusion for People on the Move: Independent Monitoring, Accountability, and Access to Rights”. NHRIs shared best practices and challenges in monitoring and documenting human rights violations affecting migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons and stateless persons. The exchanges examined how NHRIs promote access to rights and essential services for people on the move.
The GANHRI Annual Conference held on April 01, 2026, focused on “The Role of National Human Rights Institutions in Promoting and Protecting Human Rights in the Digital Space”. The Conference concluded with the adoption of an Outcome Statement which reaffirms that international human rights law applies fully in the digital sphere and calls on States to adopt comprehensive legal and policy frameworks addressing the human rights implications of digital technologies.
On the margins of the GANHRI meeting, Chief Commissioner Berhanu Adello met with Abdoul Aziz Thioye, Deputy Director of the Global Operations Division, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, to discuss the work of EHRC in protecting and promoting human rights, as well as possible areas of strengthened collaboration with OHCHR.
In his dual capacity as Vice-Chairperson of NANHRI and as Chief Commissioner of EHRC, Berhanu Adello also met with the delegation of the Somalia Human Rights Commission to explore areas of support to the newly established sister-NHRI. The discussion focused on institutional capacity building, technical assistance, and the possibility of organizing a learning visit.