Roundtable with Australian government funded NGO partners

      Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Mrs. Bethlehem Zewde represented Kyeema Foundation at a roundtable discussion convened by the Australian Embassy in Ethiopia on 15 January. His Excellency Ambassador Peter Doyle, Embassy staff, Susan Pascoe (Chair of the Australian Council for International Development Board) and eight Australian Non-Government Organisation (NGO) partner representatives participated. The partners have all been funded through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) or the Direct Aid Program (DAP). The theme of the roundtable was Ethiopia’s new legislation for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the 2020 elections. Each organisation made a short presentation on their activities in Ethiopia

The roundtable provided an excellent opportunity for networking with other NGOs working in Ethiopia and sharing challenges associated with implementation of activities. A key issue was the new legislation for CSOs wishing to register in Ethiopia. The new legislation has made the registration process easier for organisations to navigate, which will help to facilitate the operations of international NGOs in Ethiopia.