The draft arbitration proclamation that considered the implementation of international conventions that Ethiopia signed has been tabled to parliament.
The draft, ‘Arbitration and conciliation working procedure proclamation’ on its preamble said that the establishment of alternative dispute resolution and reconciliation helps to complement the right to justice and, in particular contribute to the resolution of investment and commercial related disputes and to the development of the sector.
It added that arbitration and conciliation help in rendering efficient decision by reducing the cost of the contradicting parties, protecting confidentiality, allowing the participation of experts and the use of simple procedure which provides freedom to contracting parties.
“It is necessary to provide for a general framework for the identification of arbitral cases, management of arbitration proceedings and execution of decision taking into account the objective condition prevailing in the country,” it said.
And added that the proclamation helps in implementing international treaties acceded and ratified by Ethiopia and it has become necessary to amend the laws in force by taking into account the international practices and principles related to arbitration and conciliation.
Recently the country signed the New York Convention which was ratified by parliament.
Experts in the sector recently told Capital that the acceptance of the international convention will boost the trust of big and international investors to work with Ethiopians and invest in the country. These experts underlined that the government and the private sector should be cautious on getting agreements.
The proclamation indicated that the cases that are non-arbitral are tax cases, judgment of bankruptcy, decision on dissolution of business organizations, all land cases including lease, administrative contract that are excluded where it is permitted by law, trade competition and consumer protection, administrative disputes falling under the powers given to relevant administrative organs by law and others.
Regarding arbitrator article 12, sub article 5, indicated that a person who has previously participated as an attorney, advisor, conciliator or judge of a court shall not serve as an arbitrator in the same case.
Sub article 6 of the same article added that an arbitrator shall not, unless it is found appropriate in the arbitration proceedings, meet with a contradictory party separately or accept any kind of gift from the parties.
According to the proclamation, an arbitration center will be established with the government or private ownership to provide arbitration service.
Article 17, sub article 2, of the proclamation has given a power for Federal Attorney General to supervise the centers, issue and renew license and provided for criteria for the establishment of the same.
The same article sub article 3 stated that the proclamation shall not prohibit existing arbitration centers form being operational. Currently some arbitration is operating in the country. The Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association is the most known.
Arbitration draft complementing international conventions tabled
The decade long CBHI Scheme to finally receive ratification
The Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) draft proclamation has been tabled to parliament in order to make the ten years old pilot operation formal.
The proclamation that was expected to be tabled to parliament years back had received delay for several periods due to the prioritization of massive engagement with the society for awareness creation.
On the session held on Tuesday November 3, the draft proclamation that was reviewed and approved by the House of Federation, which is responsible in assessing the proclamation mismatch with constitution and the right of regions or not, has tabled it for further evaluation by the standing committee and awaits ratification as a proclamation.
On its evaluation attached with the draft proclamation, the House of Federation stated that it follows the right of regions and that it collaborates with the constitution.
The House of Federation also added that the proclamation may allow correlating with the health sector technology system and improving technological based service.
“The law shall also enable the attainment of universal health coverage and allow achievements on the creation of one economic community,” it explained.
According to the health account study conducted in 2017, the country per capita health service expense is about USD 32 whereas the average for Sub Saharan countries is at USD 86.
The explanation that justified the proclamation argued that the insurance payment that is given for health facilities shall improve their quality of service and infrastructure.
It added that from the total expense for health service patents share is 31 percent, which is described as very huge amount that mainly affects low income parts of the society thus making poor households poorer.
CBHI was first piloted to part of the communities, which are involved in the informal economy sector, in 13 weredas of the Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, and Southern regions in 2011 that is now implemented in 771 weredas of all regions and two city administrations that are under federal government.
To come up with the proclamation different countries experience have been evaluated.
The CBHI scheme will allow the mobilization of finance to cover health expenses of the society and insure the community from unnecessary expense.
Entoto Park, the capital’s recreational paradise
Often called the lung of Addis Ababa, as a result of many long distance runners using the forest for training, Entoto Park was not a particular flocking area for thousands of people a day. This is quite a different story now that the area has benefited from the ‘beautification of Sheger initiative.’
The ‘beautification of Sheger initiative’ was a project launched by the prime minister to clean river steams and under developed areas to tourist attraction spaces. This factor has led to the building and construction of the park that started a little over a year ago with an aim of transforming the Ethiopian tourism sector.
The residents of Addis Ababa had hugely anticipated the inauguration of the park and their longing came to an end on the 30th of September 2020 when PM Abiy officially inaugurated the park in a colorful ceremony in the presence of government officials, members of the diplomatic corps and charismatic citizens.
Prior to this, Addis Ababa residents often went to nearby cities for reaction and fun memorable times with their family, friends and loved ones. Now the destination has shifted to the park in their home city. This includes, Kidst Alemneh who was at the park on Sunday, with her two older sisters, and their four kids. “There is no place I would rather be than here, especially with my kids. It is unbelievable to see the constructional transformation within one year,” she happily uttered.
Even though there were people who were lamenting over the construction amidst the time of state collapse and ethnic violence, millions of other citizens have been amazed by the rapid implementation of the construction. Some officials during the inauguration expressed that the park was a representation of how fast some projects might be completed on order for them to be delivered to the public for utilization.
The park, which took about one year to complete, is equipped with various facilities, including sport centers, restaurants, horseback riding, artificial lake as well as sports centers. There are about 12 service providers, including Kuriftu resort and spa. Visitors can have a taste of authentic Ethiopian coffee at the park served by major brands in the country such as Kaldis’ and Tomoca. Art galleries and children playing grounds are also available.
Fuad Ahmmed, human resource manager at Kuriftu resort and spa at Entoto park stated that Kuriftu had a café, restaurant, spa and rooms available within the premise.
“A sprawling complex in the Addis Ababa hills complete with a spa, tents, stables and a go kart track, along with restaurants and jogging and cycling trails.
We have all of these world class standard services at affordable price,” says Fuad.
Faud also informed capital that thousands of people come to the park especially on weekends where tens of thousands of people come to the area.
Apart from serving as a tourist attraction, the park has become an income generator for nearby residents including Amanuel balcha and his friends.
For Amanuel, found in his early 20s, explains that the park has given him and friends a new source of income.
“I reside in Shiromeda, which is close to the park. I used to work at a pool house until the pandemic which resulted in the shutting down of the house. For the past five to six weeks the park has given me a chance to rent my bicycle. I rent it 5 birr per minute and if I rent it to at least ten people a day per minute for ten minutes, it will generate 500 birr per day, which is really huge amount of money for me,” he enthusiastically expressed.
Hibret Mengstu is also one of the nearby residents who call Shiromeda, home. She was working in the park for the past 10 months during the construction phase earning about 150 birr per day. Now she is one of the Kuriftu’s employees. “I now receive a monthly wage of 4500 birr,” she stated.
Some 400 women who used to make a living by collecting fire woods in the forest have been trained to work for the restaurants and cafes in Entoto Park. Also Kuriftu has about 230 employees currently and Fuad, the human resource manager at Kuriftu has said that when the park starts its full operation the number will grow to more than 400.
Many hoped that the Entoto natural park will create employment opportunities for thousands of locals, when it eventually operates at full capacity.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new legislative year at the parliamentary house, Prime Minister Abiy said that the park will create 10,000 new jobs.
“The park will greatly boost both the country’s image and, together with other schemes, its incomes too,” he said, adding that he had personally raised funds for its construction.
Abiy said that the multi-purpose park would contain indoor and outdoor facilities built mostly with local materials, including centers for physical activities, a library, restaurants and coffee shops, fountains, walkways and bicycle and scooter lanes.
He underlined that the park would serve as a major tourist attraction in Addis Ababa. “We can build 30 to 40 such parks in the city of Addis Ababa alone.”
“We possess a naturally endowed country with astounding beautiful places. If we cooperate with each other, we can build spectacular places like this every year which can be used for various purposes including for recreation,” said the PM.
“We’ve shown you don’t need extraordinary efforts to build landmark structures. Ethiopia has naturally endowed areas beyond what many of us have guessed,” he further said.
Earlier this year, the Ethiopian PM unveiled plans to transform several natural wonders across Ethiopia into modern tourist hotspots.
Entoto park inauguration came a little over a month after the inauguration of the Sheger Park which is also part of the riverside development project.
Amid the turbulence, Abiy has paid careful attention to Friendship Square, often visiting the site late at night to take stock of progress, according to aides.
The decision-making around these urban projects has been reminiscent of past administrations and foreign tourists are an obvious target for the projects in Addis Ababa. However, officials say all Ethiopians stand to benefit, while pointing to additional projects planned outside the capital.
Acute food insecurity reaching new highs in 20 countries including Ethiopia
Hotspots in four countries on brink of famine
A joint FAO-WFP report raised the alarm on 20 countries including Ethiopia, saying that acute food insecurity levels appear to be reaching new highs globally as a result of the socio-economic fallout of measures imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The report aims to raise an early warning on 20 countries and situations – called hotspots – that, starting from already significant levels of acute food insecurity in early 2020, are facing the risk of a further rapid deterioration over the next months.
Hotspots in four countries – Burkina Faso, Yemen, South Sudan and Nigeria – are on the brink of severe levels of food insecurity and could potentially fall into famine within three to six months as the coronavirus pandemic erodes people’s ability to access food the report warned.
The Early Warning Analysis of Acute Food Insecurity Hotspots report conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) found that millions of people who were already facing hunger are on the brink of famine as the pandemic plunders employment, disrupts agricultural activities, slashes remittances and sends crude prices spiralling.
“We are at a catastrophic turning point. Once again, we face the risk of famine in four different parts of the world at the same time,” said Margot van der Velden, WFP director of emergencies.
Burkina Faso, Yemen, Nigeria and South Sudan were already facing a dangerous combination of conflict, mass displacement, economic crisis and climate and agricultural calamity. COVID-19 and subsequent restrictions and lockdowns that followed have only exacerbated the pain.
Up to 80 percent of the people experiencing acute food insecurity are farmers, herders, fishers and foresters.
Already in 2019, 135 million people were facing a food crisis or emergency in 55 countries and territories, while an additional 183 million were classified in Stress conditions across 47 countries, with a risk of further deterioration.
How conflicts play out, whether humanitarian agencies have access to populations in need, what the pandemic does to food prices, and how governments deal with the currently burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic will continue to affect food systems.
Rainfall and harvest outcomes are also an important factor.
According to the 2020 Global Report on Food Crises – September 2020 update, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these pre-existing and on-going drivers, mainly by causing economic activities to decline, which in turn led to income loss and reduced household purchasing power, and a multitude of food-system wide shocks.
In the next three to six months, 20 countries and situations shown on the map are likely to face potential spikes in high acute food insecurity, driven by multiple overlapping drivers, and require urgent attention. Yemen, South Sudan, northeastern Nigeria and Burkina Faso have areas of extreme concern whose populations, partially or completely cut off from humanitarian assistance, have reached a critical hunger situation following years of conflict and other shocks.
In these areas, any further deterioration over the coming months could lead to a risk of famine.
