125-473: The Ethiopian Human Rights Council or EHRCO is an Ethiopian human rights non-governmental organisation created in 1991 by Mesfin Woldemariam and 31 colleagues shortly after the dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam was overthrown. EHRCO's funds and staff were greatly reduced in 2009 as a result of a law limiting the role of foreign funds in citizens' associations, and restored by 2020, after Abiy Ahmed became
250-485: A secret service that purportedly commits unlawful detentions and extrajudicial killings in Oromia Region with the aim of suppressing and uprising the mass. Abiy Ahmed was born in the small town of Beshasha , Ethiopia. His deceased father, Ahmed Ali, was a Muslim Oromo. Abiy's father was a typical Oromo farmer, speaking only Oromo . The ethnicity of Abiy's deceased mother, Tezeta Wolde, varies according to
375-536: A broad range of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, such as the right to life , freedom of expression , protection against enslavement , and access to education . The modern concept of human rights gained significant prominence after World War II , particularly in response to the atrocities of the Holocaust , leading to the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by
500-537: A central focus in international relations and legal frameworks, supported by institutions such as the United Nations, various non-governmental organizations, and national bodies dedicated to monitoring and enforcing human rights standards worldwide. Many of the basic ideas that animated the human rights movement developed in the aftermath of the Second World War and the events of the Holocaust , culminating in
625-422: A country's population economically in order dampen that population's view of its government. It is also argued that, counterproductively, sanctions on offending authoritarian governments strengthen that government's position domestically as governments would still have more mechanisms to find funding than their critics and opposition, who become further weakened. The risk of human rights violations increases with
750-463: A critical situation of inter-religious clashes between Muslims and Christians with a number of deaths. He brought calm and peace in a situation of communal tensions accompanying the clashes. In later years, following his election as an MP, he continued these efforts to bring about reconciliation between the religions through the creation of the Religious Forum for Peace. In 2006, Abiy was one of
875-504: A different rhetoric, with an open and respectful discussion in the political space to allow political progress and to win people for democracy instead of pushing them. Until early 2018, Abiy continued to serve as head of the ODP secretariat and of the Oromia Housing and Urban Development Office and as Deputy President of Oromia Region. He left all these posts after his election as the leader of
1000-562: A given country. Although not all NHRIs are compliant with the Paris Principles, the number and effect of these institutions is increasing. The Paris Principles were defined at the first International Workshop on National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Paris on 7–9 October 1991, and adopted by United Nations Human Rights Commission Resolution 1992/54 of 1992 and
1125-601: A mandate to investigate alleged human rights violations. 47 of the 193 UN member states sit on the council, elected by simple majority in a secret ballot of the United Nations General Assembly . Members serve a maximum of six years and may have their membership suspended for gross human rights abuses. The council is based in Geneva , and meets three times a year; with additional meetings to respond to urgent situations. Independent experts ( rapporteurs ) are retained by
1250-650: A mandate to promote and safeguard certain of the rights later included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): the primary goal of the ILO today is to promote opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a non-binding declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, partly in response to
1375-865: A meeting in Addis Ababa between the South Sudanese president Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar in an attempt to encourage peace talks. In December 2022, he attended the United States–Africa Leaders Summit 2022 in Washington, D.C., and met with US President Joe Biden . In February 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Abiy Ahmed in Paris. In April 2023, Abiy met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Addis Ababa. In early May 2023, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa to normalize relations between Germany and Ethiopia that had been strained by
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#17330942334631500-764: A member of the central committee of ODP and congress member of the executive committee of the EPRDF in quick succession. In the 2010 national election, Abiy represented the district of Agaro and became an elected member of the House of Peoples' Representatives , the lower chamber of the Ethiopian Federal Parliamentary Assembly . Before and during his time of parliamentary service, there were several religious clashes among Muslims and Christians in Jimma Zone . Some of these confrontations turned violent and resulted in
1625-496: A one-day human rights workshop for media organisations and political parties for 20 October 2020. EHRCO protested against the forcible 1998–1998 deportation of 52,000 "Eritrean" Ethiopians to Eritrea . Mesfin Woldemariam stated the deportations were "causing a build up of hatred" that, if continued, would "lead to indiscriminate violence that [would] go on for generations". In 2020, EHRCO planned to provide voters' education and election monitoring, claiming extensive experience from
1750-798: A post which he left after only 12 months. From October 2016 on, Abiy served as Deputy President of Oromia Region as part of the team of Oromia Region's president Lemma Megersa while staying a member of the Ethiopian Federal House of Peoples' Representatives. Abiy Ahmed also became the head of the Oromia Urban Development and Planning Office. In this role, Abiy was expected to be the major driving force behind Oromia Economic Revolution, Oromia Land and Investment reform, youth employment as well as resistance to widespread land grabbing in Oromia region. As one of his duties in office, he took care of
1875-567: A reaction to slavery, torture, genocide, and war crimes. The medieval natural law tradition was heavily influenced by the writings of St Paul's early Christian thinkers such as St Hilary of Poitiers , St Ambrose , and St Augustine . Augustine was among the earliest to examine the legitimacy of the laws of man, and attempt to define the boundaries of what laws and rights occur naturally based on wisdom and conscience, instead of being arbitrarily imposed by mortals, and if people are obligated to obey laws that are unjust . The Kouroukan Fouga
2000-493: A typology of six paradigms of action that agents, such as human rights agencies, international organizations, individual states, and NGOs , could use to enforce human rights: (1) accountability, (2) inducement, (3) assistance, (4) domestic contestation and engagement, (5) compulsion, and (6) external adaptation. Responsibility to protect refers to a doctrine for United Nations member states to intervene to protect populations from atrocities. It has been cited as justification in
2125-419: Is a fitness aficionado and professes that physical health goes hand in hand with mental health and, as such, he frequents physical and gym activities in Addis Ababa. Abiy is a Pentecostal Christian , born of a Muslim father and a Christian mother. He was raised in a family of religious plurality. Abiy and his family are regular church attendees, and he also occasionally ministers in preaching and teaching
2250-618: Is a quasi-judicial organ of the African Union tasked with promoting and protecting human rights and collective (peoples') rights throughout the African continent as well as interpreting the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and considering individual complaints of violations of the Charter. The commission has three broad areas of responsibility: In pursuit of these goals, the commission
2375-616: Is an Ethiopian politician who is the current Prime Minister of Ethiopia since 2018 and the leader of the Prosperity Party since 2019. He was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize "for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea ". Abiy served as the third chairman of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) that governed Ethiopia for 28 years and
2500-610: Is an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States, also based in Washington, D.C. Along with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights , based in San José , Costa Rica, it is one of the bodies that comprise the inter-American system for the promotion and protection of human rights. The IACHR is a permanent body which meets in regular and special sessions several times a year to examine allegations of human rights violations in
2625-725: Is an international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States. Its members are the thirty-five independent states of the Americas. Over the course of the 1990s, with the end of the Cold War , the return to democracy in Latin America, and the thrust toward globalization , the OAS made major efforts to reinvent itself to fit the new context. Its stated priorities now include the following: The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (the IACHR)
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#17330942334632750-479: Is giving or taking away my Oromummaa ." Tezeta was a fluent speaker of both Amharic and Oromo . Abiy is the 13th child of his father and the sixth and youngest child of his mother, the fourth of his father's four wives. His childhood name was Abiyot (English: "Revolution"). The name was sometimes given to children in the aftermath of the Ethiopian Revolution in the mid-1970s. The then Abiyot went to
2875-410: Is mandated to "collect documents, undertake studies and researches on African problems in the field of human and peoples, rights, organise seminars, symposia and conferences, disseminate information, encourage national and local institutions concerned with human and peoples' rights and, should the case arise, give its views or make recommendations to governments" (Charter, Art. 45). With the creation of
3000-478: Is now considered to be a central component of international customary law which may be invoked under appropriate circumstances by state judiciaries and other judiciaries. In 1966, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) were adopted by the United Nations, between them making the rights contained in
3125-859: Is supported by the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW). CEDAW formerly held all its sessions at United Nations headquarters in New York but now frequently meets at the United Nations Office in Geneva; the other treaty bodies meet in Geneva. The Human Rights Committee usually holds its March session in New York City. The human rights enshrined in the UDHR, the Geneva Conventions and the various enforced treaties of
3250-471: Is widely accepted, debates persist regarding which rights should take precedence, how they should be implemented, and their applicability in different cultural contexts. Criticisms often arise from perspectives like cultural relativism , which argue that individual human rights are inappropriate for societies that prioritise a communal or collectivist identity, and may conflict with certain cultural or traditional practices. Nonetheless, human rights remain
3375-766: The 2005 Ethiopian general election . On 25 December 2020, EHRCO published its preliminary report on the Mai Kadra massacre of the Tigray War , finding that 1100 civilians had been killed, attributing the killings to youth from the Samri and other kebeles , supported by Tigray Special Forces and militia. Survivors stated to EHRCO that ethnic Tigrayans had protected and aided potential victims in escaping; these Tigrayans had left due to fear and weren't contactable by EHRCO. Repression of EHRCO members included arrests, beatings and killing by security forces. Executive Committee member Assefa Maru
3500-701: The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (under a protocol to the Charter which was adopted in 1998 and entered into force in January 2004), the commission will have the additional task of preparing cases for submission to the Court's jurisdiction. In a July 2004 decision, the AU Assembly resolved that the future Court on Human and Peoples' Rights would be integrated with the African Court of Justice. The Court of Justice of
3625-502: The COVID-19 pandemic . The postponement was criticised, especially from the opposition, and raised questions about the delay's constitutional legitimacy. An election was eventually held in 2021. The African Union described the election as an improvement compared to the 2015 election and positive overall, urging the government to continue the commitment to democracy. During 2020, ethnic and political tensions grew, and in early November,
3750-517: The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). In 1993, EHRCO filed a lawsuit against the Ethiopian government for refusing its registration as a citizens' association. The government claimed that EHRCO was "a political organisation", "side[d] with the opposition", was "ethnically oriented" and made inaccurate reports. EHRCO disagreed. Mesfin was detained by the authorities in 1993 and later released on bail, without charges nor trial. EHRCO
3875-537: The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front . Following three years of protest and unrest, on 15 February 2018 the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn , announced his resignation – which included his resignation from the post of EPRDF chairman. With the EPRDF's large majority in Parliament, its EPRDF chairman was all but assured of becoming the next Prime Minister. The EPRDF chairman, on
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4000-729: The Gospel at the Ethiopian Full Gospel Believers' Church . His wife Zinash Tayachew is also a Christian who ministers in her church as a gospel singer . While serving in the Ethiopian National Defense Force, Abiy received his first degree, a Bachelor's degree in computer engineering from the Microlink Information Technology College in Addis Ababa in 2009. Abiy holds a Master of Arts in transformational leadership earned from
4125-798: The Institute for Peace and Security Studies , Addis Ababa University . He did his PhD work on the Agaro constituency with the PhD thesis entitled "Social Capital and its Role in Traditional Conflict Resolution in Ethiopia: The Case of Inter-Religious Conflict In Jimma Zone State" , supervised by Amr Abdallah ). In 2022, Alex de Waal described Abiy's PhD thesis as constituting an anecdote on an event in which an individual friendship between people of opposite sides augmented social capital and inspired
4250-764: The Lamu Port and Lamu-Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET) project. The potential normalization of Ethiopia-Eritrea relations likewise opens the possibility for Ethiopia to resume using the Ports of Massawa and Asseb , which, prior to the Ethio-Eritrean conflict, were its main ports, which would be of particular benefit to the northern region of Tigray . All these developments would reduce Ethiopian reliance on Djibouti's port which, since 1998, has handled almost all of Ethiopia's maritime traffic. Upon taking office, Abiy stated his willingness to negotiate an end to
4375-798: The Oromo Liberation Army . Since 2019, Ethiopia has transformed into authoritarianism under Abiy's premiership, marked by severe human rights violations , media censorship , internet shutdown , civil conflicts and systematic persecution of thousands of ethnic Amharas , and southern Ethiopia region such as Amaro Koore , Konso and Gedeo Zones . Politically motivated purges also became common and many journalists and activists were arrested, by police for alleged breach of "constitutional laws". As of June 2022, 18 journalists were arrested in allegation of "inciting violence" while reporting for independent media outlets or YouTube channels. Abiy also believed to lead and organize Koree Nageenyaa ,
4500-588: The Port Sudan . The Ethio-Djibouti agreement grants the Djiboutian government the option of taking stakes in state-owned Ethiopian firms in return, such as the Ethiopian Airlines and Ethio Telecom . This in turn was followed shortly thereafter by an announcement that Abiy and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta had reached an agreement for the construction of an Ethiopian logistics facility at Lamu Port as part of
4625-742: The Rwandan genocide , he was deployed as a member of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) in the country's capital, Kigali . In the Eritrean–Ethiopian War that occurred between 1998 and 2000, he led an intelligence team to discover positions of the Eritrean Defence Forces . Later on, Abiy was posted back to his home town of Beshasha, where he – as an officer of the Defense Forces – had to address
4750-585: The Somaliland region located in northern Somalia as part of a joint venture with DP World . In May 2018, Ethiopia signed an agreement with the government of Djibouti to take an equity stake in the Port of Djibouti , enabling Ethiopia to have a say in the port's development and the setting of port handling fees. Two days later a similar agreement was signed with the Sudanese government granting Ethiopia an ownership stake in
4875-571: The Tigray War . In July 2023, Abiy attended the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit in Saint Petersburg and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin . Since taking power Abiy has pursued a policy of expanding landlocked Ethiopia's access to ports in the Horn of Africa region. Shortly before his assumption of office it was announced that the Ethiopian government would take a 19% stake in Berbera Port in
5000-593: The Tigrinya language . As a speaker of Tigrinya in a security apparatus dominated by Tigrayans, he could move forward with his military career. After the fall of the Derg , he took formal military training from Assefa Brigade in West Wollega and was stationed there. Later on in 1993 he became a soldier in the now Ethiopian National Defense Force and worked mostly in the intelligence and communications departments. In 1995, after
5125-399: The United Nations General Assembly in 1948. This document outlined a comprehensive framework of rights that countries are encouraged to protect, setting a global standard for human dignity , freedom, and justice. The UDHR has since inspired numerous international treaties and national laws designed to promote and safeguard these rights globally. While the principle of universal human rights
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5250-1022: The United Nations Security Council and the United Nations Human Rights Council , and there are numerous committees within the UN with responsibilities for safeguarding different human rights treaties. The most senior body of the UN with regard to human rights is the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The United Nations has an international mandate to: ... achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. The UN Human Rights Council, created in 2005, has
5375-476: The Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776 encoded into law a number of fundamental civil rights and civil freedoms. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Philosophers such as Thomas Paine , John Stuart Mill , and Hegel expanded on
5500-471: The attacks on the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) Northern Command, was the start of the Tigray War between the combined forces of the ENDF and the Eritrean army against forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF)—a ruling party which dominated the ruling EPRDF coalition during a nearly thirty-year period marked by rapid development alongside increasing interethnic tension —as well as those loyal to significant allied groups such as
5625-433: The common law and many later constitutional documents related to human rights, such as the 1689 English Bill of Rights , the 1789 United States Constitution , and the 1791 United States Bill of Rights . 17th century English philosopher John Locke discussed natural rights in his work, identifying them as being "life, liberty, and estate (property)", and argued that such fundamental rights could not be surrendered in
5750-479: The social contract . In Britain in 1689, the English Bill of Rights and the Scottish Claim of Right each made a range of oppressive governmental actions, illegal. Two major revolutions occurred during the 18th century, in the United States (1776) and in France (1789), leading to the United States Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen respectively, both of which articulated certain human rights. Additionally,
5875-529: The 1864 Lieber Code and the first of the Geneva Conventions in 1864 laid the foundations of International humanitarian law , to be further developed following the two World Wars. The League of Nations was established in 1919 at the negotiations over the Treaty of Versailles following the end of World War I . The League's goals included disarmament, preventing war through collective security, settling disputes between countries through negotiation, diplomacy and improving global welfare. Enshrined in its Charter
6000-422: The Addis Ababa Master Plan at the heart of the land-grabbing plans was stopped in 2016, the disputes continued for some time resulting in injuries and deaths. It was this fight against land-grabbing, that finally boosted Abiy Ahmed's political career, brought him into the spotlight and allowed him to climb the political ladder. In October 2015, Abiy became the Ethiopian Minister of Science and Technology (MoST) ,
6125-416: The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights entered into force in January 2004, but its merging with the Court of Justice has delayed its establishment. The Protocol establishing the Court of Justice will come into force when ratified by 15 countries. There are many countries in Africa accused of human rights violations by the international community and NGOs. The Organization of American States (OAS)
6250-418: The African Union is intended to be the "principal judicial organ of the Union" (Protocol of the Court of Justice of the African Union, Article 2.2). Although it has not yet been established, it is intended to take over the duties of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, as well as act as the supreme court of the African Union, interpreting all necessary laws and treaties. The Protocol establishing
6375-423: The Deputy Prime Minister and ADP leader, Shiferaw Shigute as Chairman of SEPDM and Debretsion Gebremichael as the Leader of TPLF. Despite being the overwhelming favorite by the majority of Ethiopians, Abiy Ahmed faced major opposition from TPLF and SEPDM members during the leadership discussions. On 27 March 2018, a few hours before the beginning of the leadership elections, Demeke Mekonnen, who had been seen as
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#17330942334636500-449: The Duty of Civil Disobedience which was later influential on human rights and civil rights thinkers. United States Supreme Court Justice David Davis , in his 1867 opinion for Ex Parte Milligan , wrote "By the protection of the law, human rights are secured; withdraw that protection and they are at the mercy of wicked rulers or the clamor of an excited people." Many groups and movements have managed to achieve profound social changes over
6625-404: The Ethio-Eritrean conflict. In June 2018, it was announced that the government had agreed to hand over the disputed border town of Badme to Eritrea, thereby complying with the terms of the 2000 Algiers Agreement to bring an end to the state of tension between Eritrea and Ethiopia that had persisted despite the end of hostilities during the Ethiopia-Eritrea War . Ethiopia had until then rejected
6750-501: The General Assembly Resolution 48/134 of 1993. The Paris Principles list a number of responsibilities for national institutions. The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of fifty-five African states. Established in 2001, the AU's purpose is to help secure Africa's democracy, human rights, and a sustainable economy, especially by bringing an end to intra-African conflict and creating an effective common market. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR)
6875-431: The NGOs Human Rights Watch , Committee to Protect Journalists and Amnesty International , Abiy's government has since mid 2019 been arresting Ethiopian journalists and closing media outlets (except for ESAT-TV). From the international media outlets, his government has suspended the press license of Reuters 's correspondent, and issued a warning letter to the correspondents of both BBC and Deutsche Welle for what
7000-427: The Oromo community, as well as other Ethiopian communities. This came after several years of unrest in Ethiopia. But despite this favourable rating for Abiy Ahmed and Lemma Megersa, young people from the Oromia region called for immediate action without delays to bring fundamental change and freedom to Oromia Region and Ethiopia – otherwise more unrest was to be expected. According to Abiy himself, people are asking for
7125-554: The Oromo dissident and public intellectual Jawar Mohammed , as well as their respectively affiliated US-based ESAT and OMN satellite television networks. Shortly thereafter, Abiy took the "unprecedented and previously unimaginable" step of meeting Andargachew, who twenty-four hours previously had been on death row, at his office; a move even critics of the ruling party termed "bold and remarkable". Abiy had previously met former Oromo Liberation Front leaders including founder Lencho Letta , who had committed to peaceful participation in
7250-409: The School of Salamanca, defined law as a moral power over one's own.50 Although they maintained at the same time, the idea of law as an objective order, they stated that there are certain natural rights, mentioning both rights related to the body (right to life, to property) and to the spirit (right to freedom of thought, dignity). The jurist Vázquez de Menchaca, starting from an individualist philosophy,
7375-849: The TPLF executive committee denounced the decisions to hand over Badme and privatize SOEs as "fundamentally flawed", saying that the ruling coalition suffered from a fundamental leadership deficit. In 2018, to expand the free press in Ethiopia , Abiy invited exiled media outlets to return. One of the media outlets invited to return was ESAT (which had called for the genocide of Ethiopian Tigrayans ). However, since assuming office in April 2018, Abiy himself had, as of March 2019, only given one press conference, on 25 August 2018 and around five months after he assumed office, where he answered questions from journalists. As of 21 March 2019, he has not given another press conference where he has not refused to answer questions from journalists (rather than reading prepared statements). According to
7500-403: The UDHR and accompanying treaties, but the UDHR quickly became the priority. Canadian law professor John Humprey and French lawyer René Cassin were responsible for much of the cross-national research and the structure of the document respectively, where the articles of the declaration were interpretative of the general principle of the preamble. The document was structured by Cassin to include
7625-452: The UDHR binding on all states. They came into force only in 1976, when they were ratified by a sufficient number of countries (despite achieving the ICCPR, a covenant including no economic or social rights, the US only ratified the ICCPR in 1992). The ICESCR commits 155 state parties to work toward the granting of economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR) to individuals. Numerous other treaties ( pieces of legislation ) have been offered at
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#17330942334637750-528: The United Nations are enforceable in law. In practice, many rights are very difficult to legally enforce due to the absence of consensus on the application of certain rights, the lack of relevant national legislation or of bodies empowered to take legal action to enforce them. There exist a number of internationally recognized organisations with worldwide mandate or jurisdiction over certain aspects of human rights: The ICC and other international courts (see Regional human rights below ) exist to take action where
7875-436: The additional pardon of 304 prisoners (289 of which had been sentenced on terrorism-related charges) on 15 June. The pace of reforms has revealed fissures within the ruling coalition, with hardliners in the military and the hitherto dominant TPLF said to be "seething" at the end of the state of emergency and the release of political prisoners. An editorial on the previously pro-government website Tigrai Online arguing for
8000-431: The adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. Ancient peoples did not have the same modern-day conception of universal human rights. However, the concept has in some sense existed for centuries, although not in the same way as today. The true forerunner of human rights discourse was the concept of natural rights , which first appeared as part of
8125-491: The basic principles of dignity, liberty, equality and brotherhood in the first two articles, followed successively by rights pertaining to individuals; rights of individuals in relation to each other and to groups; spiritual, public and political rights; and economic, social and cultural rights . The final three articles place, according to Cassin, rights in the context of limits, duties and the social and political order in which they are to be realized. Humphrey and Cassin intended
8250-463: The business school at Greenwich University , London, in collaboration with the International Leadership Institute , Addis Ababa, in 2011. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from the Leadstar College of Management and Leadership in Addis Ababa in partnership with Ashland University in 2013. Abiy, who had started his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) work as a regular student, submitted his PhD thesis in 2016, and defended it in 2017 at
8375-449: The co-founders of the Ethiopian Information Network Security Agency (INSA), where he worked in different positions. For two years, he was acting director of INSA due to the director's leave of absence . In this capacity, he was board member of several government agencies working on information and communications, like Ethio telecom and Ethiopian Television . He attained the rank of Lieutenant colonel before deciding in 2010 to leave
8500-450: The concept of human rights has been argued as a strategy to prevent human rights abuses. Many examples of legal instruments at the international, regional and national level described below are designed to enforce laws securing human rights. The United Nations (UN) is the only multilateral governmental agency with universally accepted international jurisdiction for universal human rights legislation. All UN organs have advisory roles to
8625-421: The core international human rights treaties. They are supported by and are created by the treaty that they monitor, With the exception of the CESCR, which was established under a resolution of the Economic and Social Council to carry out the monitoring functions originally assigned to that body under the Covenant, they are technically autonomous bodies, established by the treaties that they monitor and accountable to
8750-536: The council to investigate alleged human rights abuses and to report to the council. The Human Rights Council may request that the Security Council refer cases to the International Criminal Court (ICC) even if the issue being referred is outside the normal jurisdiction of the ICC. In addition to the political bodies whose mandate flows from the UN charter, the UN has set up a number of treaty-based bodies, comprising committees of independent experts who monitor compliance with human rights standards and norms flowing from
8875-437: The course of the 20th century in the name of human rights. In Western Europe and North America, labour unions brought about laws granting workers the right to strike, establishing minimum work conditions and forbidding or regulating child labour . The women's rights movement succeeded in gaining for many women the right to vote . National liberation movements in many countries succeeded in driving out colonial powers. One of
9000-437: The degree of government control over the economy, the move was seen as a pragmatic measure aimed at improving the country's dwindling foreign-exchange reserves , which by the end of the 2017 fiscal year were equal in value to less than two months worth of imports, as well as easing its growing sovereign debt load. In June 2018, Abiy announced the government's intention to establish an Ethiopian stock exchange in tandem with
9125-626: The director-general of a new and in 2011 founded Government Research Institute called Science and Technology Information Center (STIC) . The following year, Abiy became an executive member of ODP. The same year he was elected to the House of Peoples' Representatives for a second term, this time for his home woreda of Gomma . Starting from 2015, Abiy became one of the central figures in the violent fight against illegal land grabbing activities in Oromia Region and especially around Addis Ababa . Although
9250-437: The events of World War II . The UDHR urges member states to promote a number of human, civil, economic and social rights, asserting these rights are part of the "foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world". The declaration was the first international legal effort to limit the behavior of states and make sure they did their duties to their citizens following the model of the rights-duty duality . ... recognition of
9375-1009: The experience of sexual initiation rites with men and passing sex training tests on girls are designed to make them more appealing as marriage prospects. Measures to help the economic status of vulnerable groups in order to reduce human rights violations include girls' education and guaranteed minimum incomes and conditional cash transfers , such as Bolsa familia which subsidize parents who keep children in school rather than contributing to family income, has successfully reduced child labor . Human rights abuses are monitored by United Nations committees, national institutions and governments and by many independent non-governmental organizations , such as Amnesty International , Human Rights Watch , World Organisation Against Torture , Freedom House , International Freedom of Expression Exchange and Anti-Slavery International . These organisations collect evidence and documentation of human rights abuses and apply pressure to promote human rights. Educating people on
9500-601: The first person of Oromo descent to hold that position. Abiy is a member of the Ethiopian parliament , and was a member of the Oromo Democratic Party (ODP), one of the then four coalition parties of the EPRDF, until its rule ceased in 2019 and he formed his own party, the Prosperity Party . In June 2020, Abiy and the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) postponed parliamentary elections because of
9625-688: The freeze to be lifted. Following the Civil Societies Proclamation 1113/2019 , EHRCO legally restored its original name. EHRCO's frozen funds were restored by 2020. Human rights Human rights are universally recognized moral principles or norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both national and international laws . These rights are considered inherent and inalienable, meaning they belong to every individual simply by virtue of being human , regardless of characteristics like nationality, ethnicity, religion, or socio-economic status. They encompass
9750-577: The front-runners to become the Leader of the ruling coalition and eventually Prime Minister of Ethiopia . Despite being the clear favorite for the general public, Lemma Megersa was not a member of the national parliament, a requirement to become Prime Minister as required by the Ethiopian constitution. Therefore, Lemma Megersa was excluded from the leadership race. On 22 February 2018, Lemma Megersa's party, ODP, called for an emergency executive committee meeting and replaced him as Chairman of ODP with Abiy Ahmed, who
9875-550: The government described as "violation of the rules of media broadcasting". In June 2018, the ruling coalition announced its intention to pursue the large-scale privatisation of state-owned enterprises and the liberalization of several key economic sectors long considered off-limits, marking a landmark shift in the country's state-oriented development model. State monopolies in the telecommunications, aviation, electricity, and logistics sectors are to be ended and those industries opened up to private sector competition. Shares in
10000-469: The hemisphere. Its human rights duties stem from three documents: The Inter-American Court of Human Rights was established in 1979 with the purpose of enforcing and interpreting the provisions of the American Convention on Human Rights. Its two main functions are thus adjudicatory and advisory. Under the former, it hears and rules on the specific cases of human rights violations referred to it. Under
10125-400: The inclusion of all rights in a Unity Resolution, the rights enshrined in the UDHR were split into two separate covenants, allowing states to adopt some rights and derogate others. Although this allowed the covenants to be created, it denied the proposed principle that all rights are linked, which was central to some interpretations of the UDHR. Although the UDHR is a non-binding resolution, it
10250-548: The increase in financially vulnerable populations. Girls from poor families in non-industrialized economies are often viewed as a financial burden on the family and marriage of young girls is often driven in the hope that daughters will be fed and protected by wealthier families. Female genital mutilation and force-feeding of daughters is argued to be similarly driven in large part to increase their marriage prospects and thus their financial security by achieving certain idealized standards of beauty. In certain areas, girls requiring
10375-612: The inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world The UDHR was framed by members of the Human Rights Commission, with Eleanor Roosevelt as chair, who began to discuss an International Bill of Rights in 1947. The members of the Commission did not immediately agree on the form of such a bill of rights, and whether, or how, it should be enforced. The Commission proceeded to frame
10500-482: The international boundary commission's ruling awarding Badme to Eritrea, resulting in a frozen conflict (popularly termed a policy of "no war, but no peace") between the two states. During the national celebration on 20 June 2018, the president of Eritrea, Isaias Afwerki , accepted the peace initiative put forward by Abiy and suggested that he would send a delegation to Addis Ababa. On 26 June 2018, Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed visited Addis Ababa in
10625-589: The international level. They are generally known as human rights instruments . Some of the most significant are: In 2021 the United Nations Human Rights Council officially recognized "having a clean, healthy and sustainable environment" as a human right. In April 2024, the European Court of Human Rights ruled, for the first time in history, that the Swiss government had violated human rights by not acting strongly enough to stop climate change. Charles Beitz proposes
10750-531: The issue of the term universal , the declarations did not apply to domestic discrimination or racism. Henry J. Richardson III argued: The onset of the Cold War soon after the UDHR was conceived brought to the fore divisions over the inclusion of both economic and social rights and civil and political rights in the declaration. Capitalist states tended to place strong emphasis on civil and political rights (such as freedom of association and expression), and were reluctant to include economic and social rights (such as
10875-527: The latter, it issues opinions on matters of legal interpretation brought to its attention by other OAS bodies or member states. There are no Asia-wide organisations or conventions to promote or protect human rights. Countries vary widely in their approach to human rights and their record of human rights protection. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a geo-political and economic organization of 10 countries located in Southeast Asia, which
11000-627: The local primary school and later continued his studies at secondary schools in Agaro town. Abiy, according to several personal reports, was always very interested in his own education and later in his life also encouraged others to learn and to improve. Abiy married Zinash Tayachew, an Amhara woman from Gondar , while both were serving in the Ethiopian National Defense Force . They are the parents of three daughters and one adopted son. Abiy speaks Oromo, Amharic, Tigrinya and English. He
11125-456: The loss of life and property. Abiy, as an elected member of parliament took a proactive role in working with several religious institutions and elders to bring about reconciliation in the zone. He helped set up a forum entitled "Religious Forum for Peace" , an outcome of the need to devise a sustainable resolution mechanism to restore peaceful Muslim-Christian community interaction in the region. In 2014, during his time in parliament, Abiy became
11250-450: The maintenance of the state of emergency gave voice to this sentiment, saying that Abiy was "doing too much too fast". Another article critical of the release of political prisoners suggested that Ethiopia's criminal justice system had become a revolving door and that Abiy's administration had quite inexplicably been rushing to pardon and release thousands of prisoners, among them many deadly criminals and dangerous arsonists. On 13 June 2018,
11375-463: The major opponent to Abiy Ahmed, dropped out of the race. Many observers saw this as an endorsement of Abiy Ahmed. Demeke was then approved as deputy prime minister for another term. Following Demeke's exit, Abiy Ahmed received a presumably unanimous vote from both the ADP and ODP executive members, with 18 additional votes in a secret ballot coming from elsewhere. By midnight, Abiy Ahmed was declared chairman of
11500-611: The medieval natural law tradition. It developed in new directions during the European Enlightenment with such philosophers as John Locke , Francis Hutcheson , and Jean-Jacques Burlamaqui , and featured prominently in the political discourse of the American Revolution and the French Revolution . From this foundation, the modern human rights arguments emerged over the latter half of the 20th century, possibly as
11625-468: The military and his post as deputy director of INSA (Information Network Security Agency) to become a politician. Abiy started his political career as a member of the Oromo Democratic Party (ODP). The ODP has been the ruling party in Oromia Region since 1991 and also one of four coalition parties of the ruling coalition in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). He became
11750-632: The most influential was Mahatma Gandhi 's leadership of the Indian independence movement . Movements by long-oppressed racial and religious minorities succeeded in many parts of the world, among them the civil rights movement , and more recent diverse identity politics movements, on behalf of women and minorities in the United States. The foundation of the International Committee of the Red Cross ,
11875-462: The national legal system of a state is unable to try the case itself. If national law is able to safeguard human rights and punish those who breach human rights legislation, it has primary jurisdiction by complementarity. Only when all local remedies have been exhausted does international law take effect. In over 110 countries, national human rights institutions (NHRIs) have been set up to protect, promote or monitor human rights with jurisdiction in
12000-609: The necessary legislation, ending the state of emergency. In his first briefing to the House of Peoples' Representatives in June 2018, Abiy countered criticism of his government's release of convicted "terrorists" which according to the opposition is just a name the EPRDF gives you if you are a part or even meet the "opposition". He argued that policies that sanctioned arbitrary detention and torture themselves constituted extra-constitutional acts of terror aimed at suppressing opposition. This followed
12125-466: The new prime minister, allowing EHRCO to expand its operations. EHRCO published its preliminary report on the Mai Kadra massacre of the Tigray War on 25 December 2020. The Ethiopian Human Rights Council was created on 10 October 1991 by Mesfin Woldemariam and 31 colleagues in 1991 shortly after Mengistu Hailemariam was replaced by the Transitional Government of Ethiopia , dominated by
12250-582: The one million displaced Oromo people displaced from the Somali Region from the 2017 unrest. As head of the ODP Secretariat from October 2017, Abiy facilitated the formation of a new alliance between the Oromo and Amhara groups, which together constitute two-thirds of the Ethiopian population. In early 2018, many political observers considered Abiy and Lemma Megersa as the most popular politicians within
12375-461: The opposition groups inside and outside Ethiopia. Following his speech, his popularity and support across the country reached a historical high and some political observers argued that Abiy was overwhelmingly more popular than the ruling party coalition, the EPRDF. Since taking office in April 2018, Abiy's government has presided over the release of thousands of political prisoners from Ethiopian jails and
12500-472: The other hand, is one of the heads of the four parties that make up the ruling coalition: Oromo Democratic Party (ODP), Amhara Democratic Party (ADP), Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement (SEPDM) and Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Hailemariam's resignation triggered the first ever contested leadership election among EPRDF coalition members to replace him. A lot of political observers made Lemma Megersa (the ODP chairman) and Abiy Ahmed
12625-461: The political process, upon their arrival at Bole International Airport . On 30 May 2018, it was announced the ruling party would amend the country's "draconian" anti-terrorism law, widely perceived as a tool of political repression. On 1 June 2018, Abiy announced the government would seek to end the state of emergency two months in advance of the expiration its six-month tenure, citing an improved domestic situation. On 4 June 2018, Parliament approved
12750-523: The presence of plagiarism on every page of Chapter 2 of the thesis. Abiy published a related short research article on de-escalation strategies in the Horn of Africa in a special journal issue dedicated to countering violent extremism . At the age of 14, in early 1991, he joined the armed struggle against the Marxist–Leninist regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam after the death of his oldest brother. He
12875-620: The privatization of state-owned enterprises. As of 2015, Ethiopia was the largest country in the world, in terms of both population and gross domestic product, without a stock exchange. In May 2018, Abiy visited Saudi Arabia, receiving guarantees for the release of Ethiopian prisoners including billionaire entrepreneur Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi , who was detained following the 2017 Saudi Arabian purge . In June 2018, he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo and, separately, brokered
13000-456: The rapid opening of the country's political landscape. In May 2018 alone the Oromo region pardoned over 7,600 prisoners. On 29 May Ginbot 7 leader Andargachew Tsege , facing the death penalty on terrorism charges, was released after being pardoned by President Mulatu Teshome , along with 575 other detainees. That same day, charges were dropped against Andargachew's colleague Berhanu Nega and
13125-430: The resolution of a local violent conflict in Jimma Zone . De Waal saw the thesis as "perhaps enough for an undergraduate paper", but not deep enough to cover social capital, background literature on armed conflict and resolution , or literature on "identity, nationalism and conflict". In 2023, de Waal and colleagues recommended that Addis Ababa University re-examine Abiy's PhD thesis for plagiarism, based on their claim of
13250-474: The right to work and the right to join a union). Socialist states placed much greater importance on economic and social rights and argued strongly for their inclusion. Because of the divisions over which rights to include and because some states declined to ratify any treaties including certain specific interpretations of human rights, and despite the Soviet bloc and a number of developing countries arguing strongly for
13375-652: The rights in the UDHR to be legally enforceable through some means, as is reflected in the third clause of the preamble: Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law. Some of the UDHR was researched and written by a committee of international experts on human rights, including representatives from all continents and all major religions, and drawing on consultation with leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi . The inclusion of both civil and political rights and economic, social, and cultural rights
13500-579: The ruling coalition in Ethiopia, the EPRDF, and was considered as the Prime Minister Designate of Ethiopia by receiving 108 votes while Shiferaw Shigute received 58 and Debretsion Gebremichael received 2 votes. On 2 April 2018, Abiy Ahmed was elected as Prime Minister of Ethiopia by the House of Representatives and sworn in. On 2 April 2018, Abiy was confirmed and sworn in by the Ethiopian parliament as Prime Minister of Ethiopia . During his acceptance speech, he promised political reform; to promote
13625-461: The sources. The New York Times , in a 2018 interview with Abiy, stated that his mother "was Amhara and Orthodox Christian" and "converted to Islam when she married" and The Guardian in 2019 described Tezeta as Amhara. The Ethiopian Reporter stated in 2019 that Tezeta was "a converted Christian". In a 2021 Oromia Broadcasting Network interview redistributed on YouTube , Abiy stated that his parents were both Oromo, and asserted that "no one
13750-639: The state parties of those treaties – rather than subsidiary to the United Nations, though in practice they are closely intertwined with the United Nations system and are supported by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and the UN Centre for Human Rights. Each treaty body receives secretariat support from the Human Rights Council and Treaties Division of Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva except CEDAW, which
13875-581: The state-owned firms in those sectors, including Ethiopian Airlines , Africa's largest and most profitable, are to be offered for purchase to both domestic and foreign investors, although the government will continue to hold a majority share in these firms, thereby retaining control of the commanding heights of the economy . State-owned enterprises in sectors deemed less critical, including railway operators, sugar, industrial parks, hotels and various manufacturing firms, may be fully privatised. Aside from representing an ideological shift with respect to views on
14000-439: The theme of universality during the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1831, William Lloyd Garrison wrote in a newspaper called The Liberator that he was trying to enlist his readers in "the great cause of human rights", so the term human rights probably came into use sometime between Paine's The Rights of Man and Garrison's publication. In 1849 a contemporary, Henry David Thoreau , wrote about human rights in his treatise On
14125-452: The unity of Ethiopia and unity among the peoples of Ethiopia; to reach out to the Eritrean government to resolve the ongoing Eritrean–Ethiopian border conflict after the Eritrean–Ethiopian War and to also reach out to the political opposition inside and outside of Ethiopia. His acceptance speech sparked optimism and received an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the Ethiopian public including
14250-572: The use of recent military interventions. An example of an intervention that is often criticized is the 2011 military intervention in the First Libyan Civil War by NATO and Qatar where the goal of preventing atrocities is alleged to have taken upon itself the broader mandate of removing the target government. Economic sanctions are often levied upon individuals or states who commit human rights violations. Sanctions are often criticized for its feature of collective punishment in hurting
14375-463: The well-known Valladolid Debate that took place in 1550 and 1551. The thought of the School of Salamanca, especially through Francisco Vitoria, also contributed to the promotion of European natural law. From this foundation, the modern human rights arguments emerged over the latter half of the 20th century. Magna Carta is an English charter originally issued in 1215 which influenced the development of
14500-465: Was a child soldier, affiliated to the Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), which at that time was a tiny organization of only around 200 fighters part of the large coalition army of the EPRDF which had over 100,000 fighters that resulted in the regime's fall later that year. As there were only so few OPDO fighters in an army with its core of about 90,000 Tigrayans , Abiy quickly had to learn
14625-602: Was a mandate to promote many of the rights which were later included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The League of Nations had mandates to support many of the former colonies of the Western European colonial powers during their transition from colony to independent state. Established as an agency of the League of Nations, and now part of United Nations, the International Labour Organization also had
14750-427: Was a member of parliament. Some observers saw that as a strategic move by the ODP to retain its leadership role within the coalition and to promote Abiy Ahmed to become prime minister. On 1 March 2018, the 180 EPRDF executive committee members started their meeting to elect the leader of the party. Each of the four parties sent in 45 members. The contest for the leadership was among Abiy Ahmed of ODP, Demeke Mekonnen ,
14875-492: Was also forced by the 621/2009 law to drop "Ethiopian" from its name, since it had representation in less than five regions. The European Union created a fund considered to be locally Ethiopian, the Civil Society Fund , which, in 2015, provided EHRCO and other Ethiopian non-governmental organisations with legally permitted financial support. In 2018, EHRCO wrote to the new Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed asking for
15000-536: Was decisive in the dissemination of the term iura naturalia . This natural law thinking was supported by contact with American civilizations and the debate that took place in Castile about the just titles of the conquest and, in particular, the nature of the indigenous people. In the Castilian colonization of America, it is often stated, measures were applied in which the germs of the idea of Human Rights are present, debated in
15125-723: Was formed in 1967 by Indonesia , Malaysia , the Philippines , Singapore and Thailand . The organisation now also includes Brunei Darussalam , Vietnam , Laos , Myanmar and Cambodia . In October 2009, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights was inaugurated, and subsequently, the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration was adopted unanimously by ASEAN members on 18 November 2012. Abiy Ahmed Abiy Ahmed Ali ( Oromo : Abiyi Ahmed Alii ; Amharic : ዐብይ አሕመድ ዐሊ ; born 15 August 1976)
15250-753: Was headed by Mesfin Woldemariam from its creation in 1991 through to 2005. Yoseph Badwaza led EHRCO from 2007 to 2009. In 2018, Ameha Mekonnen headed EHRCO. Dan Yirga was acting executive director in October 2020. The initial aims of EHRCO were described as helping the 1991 Transitional Government of Ethiopia in "respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights ." Dan Yirga, executive director of EHRCO in 2020, summarised EHRCO's main actions as having consisted of investigating human rights violations; providing human rights awareness training to police, judges, lawyers and community representatives; carrying out human rights advocacy and providing free legal aid . EHRCO planned
15375-519: Was killed. In 2009, Ethiopian authorities froze Br 8,797,184.28 in EHRCO's bank accounts following the Charities and Societies Proclamation No. 621/2009 (law) that required at least 90 per cent of associations' incomes to come from local instead of international sources. The freeze forced EHRCO to close ten out of thirteen (or eight out of eleven) of its offices and to sack 80 (or 52) staff members. EHRCO
15500-473: Was predicated on the assumption that basic human rights are indivisible and that the different types of rights listed are inextricably linked. Although this principle was not opposed by any member states at the time of adoption (the declaration was adopted unanimously, with the abstention of the Soviet bloc , apartheid South Africa, and Saudi Arabia ), this principle was later subject to significant challenges. On
15625-543: Was the constitution of the Mali Empire in West Africa . It was composed in the 13th century, and was one of the very first charters on human rights. It included the "right to life and to the preservation of physical integrity" and significant protections for women. Spanish scholasticism insisted on a subjective vision of law during the 16th and 17th centuries: Luis de Molina, Domingo de Soto and Francisco Vitoria, members of
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