USAID's Feteh (Justice) Activity in Ethiopia — Quarterly Report, April 1 – June 30, 2019

72066319F00001, awarded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in February 2019. The project's primary objectives are to build the capacity of the Attorney General's Office (AGO), the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia (FSCE), and other Rule of Law actors to adopt and implement legal and judicial reform consistent with international human rights norms. Additionally, the project aims to support civil society organizations (CSOs) and the media to engage the AGO and the legal drafting sub-committees on legal and judicial reforms. The project's activities are led by a team of experienced international and national legal experts with in-depth knowledge of the Ethiopian justice system. The team is supported by a wide range of international and national experts who provide specialized expertise. The project's scope includes making grants to CSOs and the media to ensure public input on the democratic reform process and improve citizen engagement and public consultation on proposed changes to the country's legal and judicial framework. During the second quarter of the project (Q2), Feteh transitioned from the start-up phase to implementing a full complement of programmatic activities. Key activities included holding an official launch event, commenting on and translating draft proclamations, recruiting local experts to conduct a substantive review of additional key draft laws, engaging an expert to manage and coordinate the work of the AGO's Advisory Council, and training members of the newly created CSO Agency on the new CSO Proclamation. Feteh also conducted a half-day consultative workshop on the first draft of the regulation for implementing the new CSO Proclamation and organized a two-day retreat for technical experts to review input and complete the final draft of this important regulation. The CSO Agency subsequently sent the final draft to the AGO for submission to the Council of Ministers, paving the way for the CSO Agency, with Feteh's support, to start drafting 10 key directives needed for the full implementation of the CSO Proclamation. Furthermore, Feteh engaged a short-term technical assistance (STTA) expert to work with the FSCE on improving case flow management and case backlog reduction in the federal courts. The expert drafted backlog reduction and case flow management strategies, helped identify pilot courts for a future backlog reduction program, and drafted terms of reference for the 50 backlog reduction officers expected to be deployed in the pilot courts next quarter. Additionally, Feteh identified Michael Cunniff as an international STTA expert to work with the FSCE in July and August 2019 to finalize and provide training on the judicial code of conduct, disciplinary procedures, and other related matters. The project's activities have received very positive feedback from project partners and in the local media. The launch event was attended by high-level officials, including USAID's Deputy Administrator, the FSCE President, the Deputy Attorney General, and the United States Ambassador to Ethiopia. The project's progress has been marked by significant milestones, including the completion of the Year 1 Work Plan and the launch of a series of initiatives designed to meet the critical needs of the AGO and the FSCE.