The Human Rights Council (HRCO) is set to celebrate its 25th year anniversary through different programs.
Bitsate Terefe, director general, while giving a press conference announcing the 25th anniversary on Friday said that the anniversary of the establishment of the council will be commemorated with various programs and activities. The commemoration includes a solidarity walk in different parts of Addis Ababa, presentations of study papers on the situations of human right in the country, fundraising lunch programs where different items and paintings will be sold through an auction.
Having around for the last 25 years HRCO has strived for the respect of human rights in the country through different programs and activities especially in awareness creation among the society about the issues associated with human rights, according to the director general.
“Over the years, the flagship activity of the council has been monitoring and investigating human rights violations in the country. Out activity has become very influential because it has resulted in the reporting of these violations that are verifiable and well documented,” deputy chairperson of the council, Kumelachew Dagne, said in the press briefing.
In this regard, the council has so far issued 36 regular reports, 141 special reports and numerous press releases in response to different situations and violations of human rights in the country.
The predecessor of today’s HRCO, the Ethiopian Human Right Council (EHRCO) was established by article 1 (A) of the then Charter of the Transitional Government and article 404 to 482 of the Civil Code on October 10 1991.
As human rights defender HRCO is a nonprofit making organization, having no affiliation with any particular race, ethnic group and religion and stands neutrally for the realization of democracy, rule of law and the observance of human rights.