Addis Ababa University (AAU) Centre for Human Rights (CHR) celebrated International Human Rights Day with the theme “Recover Better-Stand Up for Human Rights” at Intercontinental Hotel on 10^th December 2020.

The 2020 International Human Rights Day’s theme specially focuses on COVID-19 Pandemic crisis. The Day aims at creating opportunities to recover and build the better post pandemic world by ensuring and advancing Human Rights.

This Day is also a generic call to start an action to end discrimination of any kind, reduce widespread of inequalities, encourage participation and solidarity, and promote sustainable development.

Daniel Bekele (PhD), Chief Commissioner of Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, stated that his office started celebrating this year’s Human Rights Day since 1^st December 2020 in different events focusing on current situations.

As Dr. Daniel said, the past few days were quite depressing in Ethiopia that require great concern in which Human Rights highly violated in mass killing, displacement, distraction, discrimination and others.

“We are in vast and complex human right problems.  We have to work together to advance Human Rights, calm voices screaming due to the violation of human rights and recover back from conflict as well as COVID-19 crisis,”  Said Dr. Daniel.Panel discussion, entitled “Protecting Human Rights in Conflict Situations” was held accompanied by panellist scholars from AAU and Ethiopian Lawyers Association. Annual celebration of 10^th December as Human Rights Day started in1948 to commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The Day was commemorated with collaboration of Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, East Africa Regional Office (OHCHR-EARO), Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations (CEHRO) and five independent Civil Societies.

By: Tsion Aysheshim

Photo: Fikremariam Beyene

Editor: Abraham Girmay