United Nations Human Rights Engagement in Ethiopia

This project aims to scale up the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR’s) in the area of human rights monitoring reporting and advocacy work in Ethiopia. It also seeks to strengthen the capacity of Ethiopian national institutions and civil society actors to respond to human rights violations. This project supports the implementation of recommendations made in the 2021 OHCHR-Ethiopian Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) joint investigation and accountability provisions. These provisions include those contained within the 2022 permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement for the Tigray conflict. The partner implements this project in close collaboration and coordination with national protection institutions including the EHRC the African Union and various civil society organizations. Project activities include: (1) training Ethiopian police investigators prosecutors judges and members of transitional justice institutions on human rights best practices; (2) strengthening the capacity of survivor networks to engage with judicial and non-judicial accountability mechanisms; (3) creating survivor-centred communication products that provide a grassroots perspective on human rights and transitional justice issues; (4) providing free legal aid to survivors; and (5) facilitating peer-to-peer learning exchanges for selected transitional justice duty-bearers.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased awareness of human rights standards and gender perspectives among relevant duty bearers mandated to investigate and try human rights violations; (2) increased awareness of human rights standards and gender perspectives among relevant duty bearers mandated to promote holistic transitional approaches in Ethiopia; and (3) increased ability of victims of human rights violations and abuses in Ethiopia to participate in transitional processes - judicial and non-judicial mechanisms – using a survivor-centred approach.