Council of Ministers endorses Transitional Justice Policy

Addis Ababa, April 17, 2024 (FBC) – During its 30th ordinary session convened today, the Council of Ministers of Ethiopia has approved a draft bill concerning Transitional Justice Policy and has forwarded a bill regarding the regulation of federal government civil servants to the House of Peoples’ Representatives.

The Council initially deliberated on the bill pertaining to federal civil servants, which was formulated in accordance with the Public Service and Administration Policy endorsed during the Council’s 29th regular session on April 11, with the aim of operationalizing said policy. Furthermore, the draft bill seeks to address the deficiencies observed in the enforcement of a similar bill sanctioned in 2018, particularly in ensuring that the public service and administration policy is characterized by freedom, independence, efficiency, accessibility, and accountability, while also establishing a functional framework that resonates with contemporary trends.

Subsequently, the Council unanimously decided to forward it to the House of People’s Representatives.

The second agenda the Council deliberated on was the Transitional Justice (TJ) draft policy. In the past, various attempts have been undertaken to tackle human rights violations, internal strife, unsubstantiated narratives, and transgressions that have transpired and persisted across various periods in the nation’s history. Nevertheless, these efforts proved ineffective in achieving a sustainable resolution, as they did not adopt an all-encompassing, human rights-centered, and adaptable approach to establishing a comprehensive transitional justice system grounded in truth, reconciliation, forgiveness, and justice, underpinned by a well-defined policy framework.

Hence, this draft policy has been formulated to oversee and execute the transitional justice process in a methodical, cohesive, and efficient manner on a nationwide scale.

Subsequent to thorough discussions on the matter, the Council unanimously endorsed the Transitional Justice Policy to take effect, incorporating further inputs from the date of its approval.