The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) hosted a sensitization workshop on February 6, 2025, at its head office in Addis Ababa, focusing on Ethiopia’s Transitional Justice (TJ) process. The event gathered representatives from EHRC alongside fifteen Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) actively engaged in TJ initiatives.
The workshop aimed to enhance the participants’ understanding of TJ principles, relevant legal frameworks and Ethiopia’s international obligations. It also sought to facilitate the integration of these elements into participants’ thematic areas of work and strategies.
Presentations during the workshop provided an overview of Ethiopia’s TJ policy, roadmap and the legislative and institutional reforms the process entails. Special attention was given to the role of CSOs and EHRC in ensuring inclusion, victim-centered approaches and the active participation of vulnerable groups. Additionally, an experience-sharing session featured guest speakers from Uganda and The Gambia, who joined virtually to discuss the contributions of CSOs in their respective TJ processes, the challenges encountered and strategies employed to maintain inclusive and victim-centered frameworks.
Participants of the workshop identified barriers to victim participation, explored strategies for CSOs and victims to overcome challenges and ways to ensure their interventions are comprehensive and effectively support Ethiopia’s TJ process.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Abdi Jibril, EHRC Commissioner for Civil, Political and Socio-economic Rights, emphasized that Ethiopia’s TJ process aims to address past human rights violations and prevent future abuses, highlighting the critical importance of meaningful participation from all sectors of society, especially CSOs and victims. He underscored the vital role of CSOs in representing communities, advocating for victims, assisting in documentation and promoting reconciliation.
