The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) conducted a series of training sessions focused on transitional justice, the treatment of suspects and detainees, and children’s rights in various cities across the country for police officers, prosecutors, judges, prison personnel, as well as religious leaders and community elders during the fourth quarter of the 2018 fiscal year.
Among the training sessions conducted for police and prison personnel during the quarter, capacity-building programs on the rights of arrested persons and the principles on the use of force were delivered in Mekelle, Robe, and Sodo cities for police officers and officials drawn from various areas close to the cities. Similarly, a training on the treatment of prisoners in a manner that upholds their human rights and dignity was conducted for prison personnel and officials drawn from Mekelle and Jimma cities.
As part of its effort to safeguard children’s rights within the justice system, a comprehensive training session was conducted in Bishoftu for newly appointed prosecutors drawn from various sub-cities of Addis Ababa. The training aimed to build their capacity on justice administration and protection frameworks regarding the rights of children under the age of 18 navigating the criminal and civil justice systems. In this training, a federal court judge with extensive experience and knowledge in the child justice process has served as a resource person and made a significant contribution to the effectiveness of the program. On a forum organized in Bonga city for judges drawn from the South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Region, a training was provided to enhance their capacity to apply international and regional human rights treaties within the judicial decision-making processes.
Furthermore, a training session examining the role of religious leaders and community elders in the transitional justice process, as well as the experiences of other countries, was conducted in Robe. Consequently, they were able to acquire the knowledge and skills enabling them to participate actively in the transitional justice process. Similarly, training aimed at enhancing the role of youth in fostering peace and solidarity through the respect of human rights was delivered in Bahir Dar city for members drawn from various youth associations and organizations.
These training sessions, conducted by the EHRC during the fourth quarter of the 2018 fiscal year, have strengthened the observance of human rights within the community and among executive bodies and also enabled participants to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to implement human rights principles in their daily activities.