Introduction
1. Ethiopia has witnessed a major political transformation during the reporting period. After years of long public protests and resistance against the previous government, a new leadership came to power in 2018 which initiated and carried out sequences of deeper reforms. Among others, the reform involved the liberalization of the political environment, the release of opposition political leaders, and the pursuit of legal and institutional overhauls to better guarantee the fulfilment, respect, and protection of human rights across sectors.
2. Several measures have been adopted to ensure the promotion, protection and respect of human rights including women, children, and minorities. Most of the legal and institutional reforms the Country operationalized over the years also have direct bearing on the implementation of its commitment to upholding international and regional human rights norms and standards.
3. The Government acknowledged the gross violations committed by the security apparatus, and took full responsibility and apologized for the violations. The government also investigated and brought charges against senior officials and members of the security and law enforcement agencies who had been suspected of overseeing and perpetrating some of the worst forms of human rights violations in Ethiopia’s recent history. Secret places of detention and sites for notorious gross human rights atrocities committed by the security and law enforcement agencies were identified, publicly exposed, and closed for good.
4. These measures were accompanied by a comprehensive legal and institutional reforms focusing on the security sector, democratic institutions, and the judiciary. The reforms are intended to bring about greater transparency and accountability and establish a system of institutional checks and balances that facilitate a more meaningful respect, protection and promotion of human rights in the Country.
5. On the other hand, appreciating the great importance of a vibrant and informed civil society and recognizing the need for strengthening independent democratic and judicial institutions for full enjoyment of human rights, the Government has taken significant legal, administrative, and institutional measures to this end. Among others, the measures taken include the opening up of the civil society space and the protection of human rights defenders by adopting a more progressive legislative framework and a new institutional set up.
