Led by Dr Amna Nazir, our Stakeholder report to Ethiopia’s Universal Periodic Review makes specific recommendations to the government regarding (1) child, early and forced marriage; and (2) capital punishment.
Researchers
Consultancy background
In March 2024, the UPR Project at BCU submitted a Stakeholder Report to Ethiopia’s fourth UPR cycle, led by Dr Amna Nazir. This submission focuses on (1) child, early and forced marriage; and (2) capital punishment. We make recommendations to the Government of Ethiopia on these key issues, implementation of which would see Ethiopia move towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5 and 16 which aim for ‘gender equality and empowering all women and girls’, ‘inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’, and ‘access to justice for all’.
On 26 August 2024, the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights published its Stakeholder Summary Report for Ethiopia, which cited the Stakeholder Report submitted by UPR Project at BCU:
“UPR-BCU stated that Ethiopia should consider supporting the recommendations that would be received at the upcoming review as an expression of mutual reinforcement of the State’s commitment to promoting the Sustainable Development Goals.” (para 3)
“UPR-BCU stated that the humanitarian crises and the deleterious impact of COVID19 had amplified and compounded gender norms that hindered girls’ school attendance, and increased the risk of child marriage, early pregnancy, gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, and child labour.” (para 15)
“UPR-BCU stated that although the death penalty was maintained as an eligible punishment, there was de facto moratorium in place, but there was no commitment or willingness from Ethiopia to introduce a de jure moratorium with a view to abolition. Ethiopia should mandate EHRC to consider the question of the abolition of the death penalty.” (para 19)
“UPR-BCU stated that the COVID-19 pandemic had widened education inequalities for vulnerable children and adolescents living in poor and /or remote rural areas. BC stated that with the adoption of distance learning practices, one in two children had not had access to education, and the digital divide between rural and urban areas had become apparent. The lack of electricity and low income had prevented many rural households from using the technology and obtaining needed internet connectivity.” (para 71)
“JS13 stated that female genital mutilation, child marriage and marriage by abduction were highly pervasive in Ethiopia, and victims had been discouraged from reporting such incidents.” (para 79)
“JS13 noted that the adoption of the National Road Map to End Child Marriage and FGM (2020-2024) and acknowledged the notable progress that had been made in reducing child marriage. However, these was a long way to go to eliminating all harmful practices.” (para 140)
“There was a lack of a comprehensive disability law and the Constitution, did not specifically guarantee the equal rights of persons with disabilities and viewed disability in a way that fostered welfare and medical approaches to disability which was contrary to the human rights-based approach to disability.” (para 84)
Following the citations in the Stakeholder Summary Report. The outcome of the review published on 18 December 2024 in the Report of the Working Group stated that Ethiopia will be included in the outcome report adopted by the Human Rights Council at its fifty-eighth session:
Child, Early & Forced Mariage
Set the legal age for marriage at 18 years. Recommending state: Iceland (58.146);
Sustain committed efforts to end child marriage. Recommending state: Philippines (58.147); France (58.246); Colombia (58.256); Ireland (58.266); Burundi (58.267); Croatia (58.268); Poland (58.269); Italy (58.277);
Intensify human rights education and training programmes, placing emphasis on gender equality, the rights of the child and other persons in situations of vulnerability. Recommending state: Philippines (58.67);
Capital Punishment
Ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. Recommending state:Mongolia (58.8); Namibia (58.12); Madagascar, Poland & Spain (58.13); Czechia (58.14); Estonia (58.73); Portugal (58.76); Iceland (58.79); Costa Rica (58.80);
Commute the death penalty imposed on persons on death row to life imprisonment. Recommending state:Liechtenstein (58.69);
Establish a moratorium on the death penalty with a view to abolishing it. Recommending state: Liechtenstein (58.69); Lithuania (58.70); Chile (58.71); Ukraine (58.72); Estonia (58.73); Australia (58.74); Italy (58.75); Portugal (58.76); Colombia (58.77);
Abolish the death penalty. Recommending state: France (58.78); Iceland (58.79);
These Member State recommendations are consistent with the categories of recommendations identified in the UPR Project at BCU’s Report for Ethiopia.
About the UPR Project at BCU
The Centre for Human Rights (CHR) has been engaging with the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) since 2016. Under the auspice of the Human Rights Council, the UPR is an intergovernmental process providing a review of the human rights record of all Member States.
Through the UPR Project at BCU, the CHR we engage with the UPR through taking part in the UPR Pre-sessions, providing capacity building for UPR stakeholders and National Human Rights Institutions, and the filing of stakeholder reports in selected sessions. The UPR Project is designed to help meet the challenges facing the safeguarding of human rights around the world, and to help ensure that UPR recommendations are translated into domestic legal change in member state parliaments.
We fully support the UPR ethos of encouraging the sharing of best practice globally to protect everyone's human rights. The UPR Project at BCU engages with the UPR regularly as a stakeholder, having submitted numerous reports and been cited by the OHCHR.