Netherlands supports reform work being carried out in the justice system in Ethiopia and capacity building in public institutions, Netherland Ambassador to Ethiopia, Henk Jan Baker said.
Amsterdam Universities Graduates Association in Ethiopia (AUGAE) Alumni Network launching event was held today in Addis Ababa.
During the occasion it was indicated that over the past 30 years, the University of Amsterdam and the Vrije University in Amsterdam, have implemented various capacity building projects in varieties of disciplines.
Over 15 capacity building projects have been instituted since commencement in 1992 in which over 800 participants have been able to take advantage of postgraduate study opportunities in Ethiopia.
At the launching event, Ambassador of Netherland to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to African Union, UNECA and IGAD, Henk Jan Baker said over the past 30 years, the University of Amsterdam and the Vrije University in Amsterdam have been implementing capacity building activities in Ethiopia with several Ethiopian public institutions.
He added that hundreds of practicing professionals have benefited from these activities in which many of these activities are funded by the Netherlands.
At this particular time, we have ongoing capacity building program with the activities of federal ministry of Justice and in Oromia justice sector institutions.
“At federal ministry of justice and in Oromia justice sector institutions, currently some 450 candidates are busy preparing their final dissertation degree, research for a masters degree in varieties of specialization in the legal discipline. Furthermore, there are several short term courses that are part of this project that are offered to practicing professionals in Ethiopian public institutions among other also in Somali region,” he said.
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Djibouti Birhanu Tsegaye on his part said in developing countries like Ethiopia, one of the issues that make it challenging to properly provide government services to the public is the lack of trained manpower and the lack of a proper service delivery system.
Ethiopia, being a country that has been challenged by the lack of skilled manpower, has been making various efforts to solve these problems.
One of the programs that played the biggest role in the process of producing skilled manpower is the Amsterdam University and later the Vrije University program.
“The program is making a significant contribution in producing professionals who can achieve the goal of the judicial sector and ensuring the rule of law by carrying out such capacity building activities”
The aim of the proposed projects was to support human capacity building endeavor of Ethiopia by the way of training of government personnel with the objective being to create a sustainable self-reliant human resource capacity.
Interim Chairperson of the Project (AUGAE), Haileselassie Gebreselassie on his part said this venture of establishing alumni is essential in gauging the contributions and added value of the capacity building programs so far implemented in Ethiopia which will further foster the task of organizing future projects.
“The importance of establishing this organization is to create network among students studied in this institutions. It also aimed at providing them with opportunities of further education, job opportunities, publication of articles,” he said.
He noted that at immediate objective level, we have 15 specializations in which we have offered postgraduate programs and at short term level, we have organized short term training ranging from one week to six months.
Director of Center for International Cooperation at Vrije University, Dr Henk Van Den Heuvel on his part said we have been co-implementing the justice capacity building program since 5 years now and it is going very well due to the commitment of Ethiopian justice sector institutions.
He added that after this project we hope that Mekelle University and Oromia State University will be able to takeover and run by themselves.
The education and training project would deepen partnership cooperation among its member on the one hand and with other stakeholders on the other, thereby strengthening capacity building endeavor which is a significant stepping stone towards the institutionalization of good governance and the rule of law in Ethiopia.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency