CRDA/PAC CONSULTATIVE MEETING OF REPRESENTATIVES OF AFRICAN CSO AND NGO NETWORKS ON THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’s DEVELOPMENT (NEPAD)... Full Declaration

Ethiopian CSOs/NGOs in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) initiative (April 2002)...Full document

As our partners recall, an NGO Legal Framework Consultative Taskforce formed in 2003 consisting of Action Aid Ethiopia (AAE), Action Professionals' Association for the People (APAP), AIDOW, Catholic Relief Service (CRS), Cher Ethiopia, Christian Relief and Development Association (CRDA), Christian Children's Fund of Canada (CCFC), Consortium of Reproductive Health Association (CORHA), Ethiopian Women's Lawyer Association (EWLA), Forum for Social Studies (FSS), Hope Enterprise, HUNDEE, Inter Africa Group (IAG) and PACT Ethiopia reviewed a draft NGO Legislation prepared by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The Taskforce in consultation with the MoJ repeatedly revised the document but unfortunately, the Ministry time and again failed to include NGO suggestions. Thus, the Taskforce during its meeting in July 2004 agreed to draft an alternative legislation. Doing so, it tabled the document for discussion by holding a press conference on October 29, 2004.

It is to be recalled that in May 2004, an Activity Report on NGO/CSO Draft Legislation outlining the deliberations of the Task-Group and the progress made in developing the draft proclamation by giving an article-by-article account that attempted to graphically and comprehensively describe and record what transpired during the successive meetings held by the TG was submitted. This report is a follow up of the aforementioned report offering a commentary and/or observation on the draft prepared by the Ministry of Justice and submitted for our consideration and observation in June 2004. Like the previous report, this report also will indicate article-by-article, which agreements and/or understandings have been brought on board and which have been left unattended to without any change. In this report cross-reference will be made to the detailed May report for further clarification on detailed and pertinent issues. Therefore this report should be read in tandem with the May report. What this report sets out to do is simply indicate areas of convergence and divergence so as to easily and readily identify issues that need to be further taken up and addressed. And by way of conclusion will indicate the major areas of difference and the critical issues that need to be taken up and addressed further.

Activity Report on NGO/CSO Draft Legislation - A Compiled report of the NGO/CSO - Task Group and Drafting Team Sessions (English - PDF format)

NGOs’ persistent push for a legal framework is finally paying off. The Ministry of Justice has at last come up with a draft NGO Legislation, which was tabled for discussion at a workshop held from June 3- 4, 2002 at the ECA, Africa Hall, Addis Ababa... More on the Draft Legislation