Geneva, A comprehensive report jointly issued by the UN Human Rights Office and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) calls for the Ethiopian government to base its efforts to address past human rights violations and abuses on international human rights law, prioritizing the rights and needs of victims and their families. The report outlines the findings from community consultations across Ethiopia and emphasizes the need for a holistic, victim-centered approach to transitional justice.
According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, The 91-page report documents the outcomes of 15 community consultations conducted from July 2022 to March 2023. These consultations involved over 800 participants, including victims, internally displaced people, and various community leaders, across multiple regions in Ethiopia. The report reflects the consensus among participants on the necessity of implementing all aspects of transitional justice equally. This includes criminal accountability, truth-seeking, reparations, legal reforms, and reconciliation.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk welcomed Ethiopia’s steps to develop a national transitional justice policy in alignment with the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. Türk emphasized the importance of these efforts being consistent with international human rights norms and standards, with a special focus on women and girls.
Participants in the consultations highlighted the need for criminal accountability for potential crimes under international law, stating that such crimes should not be eligible for amnesty. They also prioritized the peaceful resolution of conflicts, the return of internally displaced people, and the breaking of the cycle of violence and impunity.
Most participants expressed willingness to contribute meaningfully to the transitional justice process, provided that the institutions involved are independent and free from political influence. They also offered insights into the potential institutional architecture needed to lead these initiatives.
This report follows the joint investigation by the UN Human Rights Office and the EHRC in the Tigray Region, which recommended the adoption of a human-rights based, holistic, and victim-centered transitional justice policy. This recommendation was reflected in the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed in Pretoria in November 2022.
Türk stressed the significance of this report in informing ongoing discussions on transitional justice in Ethiopia. He reiterated that states have a duty to investigate and prosecute gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law, ensuring justice and comprehensive reparations for those affected.
The report concludes with 31 recommendations for various stakeholders, including the Ethiopian government and the Transitional Justice Working Group of Experts, to consider in the design and implementation of a transitional justice policy.