The Commission has various programs of action carrying out specific activities with a view to achieving the overall objectives of the Commission. The list below shows the various programs of the Commission along with summary of the sets of specific activities to be accomplished under each program.(For details of each program, go to the strategic plan pp 90-98)
- Human Rights Education- the core of this activity revolves around creating public awareness on human rights or on specific rights through face-to face contacts or via the media, publications;supporting awareness raising education and promotion by being a depository for human rights materials as well as through training key professionals
- Human Rights Protection (complaint Investigation) – includes activities dealing with inherited backlogs, filed complaints, sensitive or priority cases, systemic or group issues; ensuring the application of remedies, attempting amicable resolution of cases as well as ensuring the implementation of settlements.
- Human Rights Monitoring – under this category the Commission monitors places of detention;ensures the implementation of recommendations; monitors the general human rights situation of the country; as well as undertakes event monitoring.
- Advising Government- this program involves the Commission’s provision of advice on existing legislation, policy and practices; provision of advice on proposed legislation, policy and practices as well as provision of advice on Treaty Bodies Reportingto the Government.
- Human Rights Research– under this Program, the EHRCseeks to conduct in-house or contracted research into human rights issues; carry out in-house or contracted research to support the development of guidelines, policies, procedures, etc; carry out in-house or contracted research to support program delivery; encourages academic research into human rights issues and develop a program of action research.
- Democratic Institutions Programme (DIP)-under this Program, major donors and UN agencies working in Ethiopia have agreed to collectively support the strengthening of the capacity of the main democratic institutions in the Country including the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission(EHRC). The current program aims at strengthening the capacity of the EHRC to be in full compliance with international standards for national human rights institutions (such as the Paris Principles) and pursues the following objectives.
-Strengthening national capacity to respect, protect,promote and fulfil human rights;
- Facilitate the enhancement of skills relating to treaty reporting obligations, documentation, public awareness and project development and management; and
-Strengthening of the public awareness of human rights and the capacity of Ethiopian Civil Society to participate and network in the promotion, protection, and awareness raising on human rights.
The Program will be implemented through a UNDP National Execution Modality with the EHRC as the national implementing partner and in close cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). For details see Project Document