The establishment of the EHRC was a requirement of Article 55(14) of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE),which came into force on 21 August 1995. The intervention of the Ethio-Eritrean war in 1998 diverted the administration’s attention towards issues of national security.
The Parliament, in July 2000, approved Proclamation 210/2000, which established the Commission and defined its mandate and powers.
It was not until July 2004, however, that Parliament, following a procedure that included public consultations, nominated the Chief Commissioner, and until July 2005 that they nominated a deputy Chief Commissioner and Commissioner for Children’s and Women’s Rights.
The immense sacrifices paid by the people of Ethiopia, in the protracted struggle they waged with a view to bringing about a democratic order and to enhancing their socio economic development called for paving the way for unfettered protection of human rights. Therefore, it was found necessary to establish the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, as one of the organs that play a major role in enforcing such rights and freedoms. The EHRC, hence, was established on 4th July 2000 by Proclamation 210/2000 that determines its powers and functions in conformity with the provisions of the FDRE Constitution.
With the appointment of the latter two Commissioners, the Commission was able to constitute a Council of Commissioners, as required by the Proclamation that established them, and begin to function. This is to say that, despite the date of the Proclamation, the EHRC did not truly exist as an institution until very recently.