Scrutinizing Funding Restrictions of the Charities and Societies Proclamation of Ethiopia in light of International Human Rights Standards

Abstract

The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE Constitution) under Art.31 has guaranteed the right to freedom of association. The details of such right are provided by the Charities and Societies Proclamation (Proclamation No.621/2009) adopted by the government. Under the Proclamation, only Ethiopian Charities and Societies are allowed to work on human rights. However, the Proclamation restricts access to funding of such organizations as it requires them to generate not more than 10% of their funds from foreign sources. In this article, it is argued that such restriction entails violation of the right to freedom of association and hinders the protection and promotion of human rights in Ethiopia.