Demande directe (CEACR) - adoptée 1997, publiée 86ème session CIT (1998)

Convention (n° 111) concernant la discrimination (emploi et profession), 1958 - Ethiopie (Ratification: 1966)

1. The Committee has recently received information on the establishment, on 24 August 1995, of the Federal Civil Service Commission, an autonomous public institution of the federal Government, which replaces the Public Servants' Administration Commission. It notes that, in order to achieve its objective to guarantee the realization of a meritorious, efficient, productive and permanent civil service in accordance with the law, the Commission has been given the powers and duties, inter alia, to prepare and, upon approval, follow up the implementation of policies and laws concerning the civil service; to issue general criteria on education and work experience necessary for civil service positions; to give final decisions on appeals lodged by employees of the federal civil service; to keep a register of the details of employees of the federal civil service and compile data concerning all civil service employees within the country (sections 4 and 5 of the Federal Civil Service Commission Establishment Proclamation No. 8/1995). Noting the potential importance of the Commission with regard to implementation of the principle of non-discrimination within the civil service, the Committee requests the Government to provide it with information on any policy and/or law prepared or implemented by the Commission; a copy of the general criteria on education and work experience issued by the Commission; data on the nature and number of appeals, if any, lodged by civil servants, including copies of any final decisions; and data on the number of civil servants, disagregated by sex, job category and level of responsibility. Considering that the Federal Civil Service Commission replaces the Public Servants' Administration Commission, the Committee requests the Government to indicate to what extent the former civil service regulations, criteria and guidelines continue to operate.

2. The Committee notes, however, that the Government's report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

The Committee notes with interest the adoption of a new Constitution of 8 December 1994 which, inter alia, provides for guarantees to all persons of "equal and effective protection without discrimination on grounds of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, wealth, birth or other status" (article 25). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to implement those constitutional provisions relevant to the application of the Convention, including details on any legislative developments. Please also indicate whether the 1975 Land Reform Proclamation which was to have been reviewed in the light of the new Constitution, remains in force.

The Committee notes that draft legislation to cover public employees excluded from the scope of the Labour Proclamation of 1975 is in the process of being finalized and will be furnished to the Office once it has been proclaimed. The Committee hopes that the Government will take this opportunity to provide employees of the state administration with legislative protection against discrimination in employment, in conformity with the Convention. Similarly, the Committee hopes that steps will be taken to accord to teachers (who are employees of the state administration) the guarantees afforded by the Convention during the review of the applicable legislation which, according to the report, was under way.

As concerns the use of national languages, raised in previous comments, the Committee notes with interest that Part 3.5 of the 1986 General Education and Training Policy indicates the Government's intention to ensure that elementary education is to be given in the respective language of the various nations/nationalities as this would bring educational advantages and would ensure the right of different groups to use their own languages, along with Amharic and English, which are also to be taught at different levels. The Committee asks the Government to supply information on the implementation of the education policy in this regard and, in particular, on the extent to which this measure facilitates the access to education and training of the various nations/nationalities.

The Committee notes that the Institute for the Study of Ethiopian Nationalities, created by Proclamation No. 263 of 1983, appears to have been closed definitively, even though the said Proclamation has not been repealed. As pointed out in the Government's report, the new Constitution contains provisions safeguarding the right of the country's nations, nationalities and peoples to self-determination, including self-government, and to preserving their own cultures (article 39). Accordingly, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures being taken or contemplated to enable the practical enjoyment of these rights by the groups involved.

The Committee notes the constitutional provisions concerning the rights of women, including the right to "... remedial and affirmative measures to enable women to compete on the basis of equality with men in political, economic and social life, and to gain access to opportunities and positions in public and private institutions" (article 35). It also notes that the above-mentioned General Education and Training Policy calls for special assistance for women in the preparation and distribution of educational aids and to regions which were previously deprived of educational facilities (paragraph 3.7.6), and states that the Government should provide financial assistance to incite greater school attendance by women (paragraph 3.9.3). The Committee hopes that the Government's future reports will contain detailed information on the steps being taken to realize these goals.