A workshop on the collaborative engagement between the House of People’s Representatives (HoPR) and the Civil Society Sector towards creating a conducive environment for civil society organizations in Ethiopia was held on 13-14 July 2019 in Adama, Oromia Regional State. The workshop was supported and organized by the European Union Civil Society Fund III (CSF-III) in collaboration with the Agency for Civil Society Organizations (ACSO), the Ethiopian Civil Society Forum (ECSF) and the Law, Justice and Democratic Standing Committee of HoPR. 61 participants representing different standing committees of the HoPR, the civil society organizations/networks, ACSO, the European Union (EU) and the Technical Assistance Unit for CSF-III have attended the two-day workshop.
Honorable Ato Chane Shimeka, Government Representative in the Parliament said on behalf of the Speaker of HoPR that the Civil Society Organizations’ Proclamation No. 1113/2019 approved by the HoPR has opened a new chapter to enhance the role the civil society can play in the country’s development and democratization process. Mr. Dominique Davoux, Acting Head of Cooperation, said on his part that the EU reiterates its commitment to continuing its support to the civil society sector through implementing its Roadmap for Engagement with Civil Society in Ethiopia. Mr. Davoux appreciated the positive steps taken by the Ethiopian government towards enhancing the role that civil society should play in the country’s sustainable development and called for the Legislative and Executive Branches of the state to engage in consultation and dialogue with the civil society sector in policy formulation and review processes, democratization and nation-building towards peaceful co-existence.
Ato Jimma Dilbo, Director General of ACSO, thanked the HoPR in his opening remark for the availability to attend this workshop and the encouraging gesture to collaborate with and create a conducive environment to the civil society. He reaffirmed the commitment of the Agency and the preparations underway to support the sector as stipulated in the Proclamation. Wro Bilen Asrat, Executive Director of ECSF welcomed the participants and thanked the European Union for supporting the event.
In the workshop, Ato Beruk Kabtamu from the TAU for CSF-III made a presentation on “the Role of Civil Society: a Global Perspective”, followed by a presentation on the Proclamation 1113/2019 by ACSO directors. In the second day of the workshop, civil society networks made their presentation on the work of the sector. The workshop finally agreed on areas of future collaborations including conducting such discussions regularly.
