EHRC conducts training on the African Human Rights System and Litigation before African Regional Human Rights Treaty Bodies

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) conducted a three day training for civil society organizations (CSOs) and staff of the EHRC from 28 – 30 September 2021 on the African human rights system and litigation before African regional human rights treaty bodies.  

The overarching objective of the training was to enhance understanding of the African human rights system and identify opportunities for engagement with its treaty bodies, namely, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. 

The training covered three modules: (i) “Introduction to the African human rights system”, which focused on the normative and institutional frameworks that underpin the system, such as the key human rights treaties and accompanying treaty bodies; (ii) “Litigation before the African regional human rights bodies”, which focused on the filing and adjudication of cases and participation through other non-contentious means such as amicus curiae and advisory opinions; and (iii) “Monitoring implementation of decisions of African regional human rights treaty bodies”, which focused on the means and methods by which the EHRC and CSOs can ensure the effective implementation of decisions. 

The training highlighted some of the gaps that have resulted in limited engagement with the African human rights system but also demonstrated the strong willingness of key actors to actively participate at the regional level. The training culminated in the identification of action points that the EHRC and CSOs can implement in the short to medium term in order to enhance their regional participation.

EHRC expresses its appreciation to NANHRI for conducting the training and to all the CSOs that participated in the training. 

EHRC looks forward to greater engagement from Ethiopian CSOs with the African human rights system and takes this opportunity to pledge its support towards the achievement of this objective. Through its ongoing reform processes, the EHRC has also placed due emphasis on increasing its participation, visibility and influence at the regional and international level.