The 2009 Ethiopian Charities and Societies Proclamation places excessive restrictions on the work of human rights organisations. The law has had a devastating impact on human rights work, both in terms of the practical obstacles it creates for human rights defenders, and in exacerbating the climate of fear in which they operate. The proclamation jeopardises the observance and protection of the rights of every person in Ethiopia. This is Amnesty International’s written statement to the 20th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (18 June – 6 July 2012).
