Advancing Human Rights through Reciprocal Learning: A Comparative Analysis of the NHRAPs of China and Ethiopia

Mohammed Ahmed Mohammed

doi:10.64060/IJDSS.v2i2.153

Authors

Mohammed Ahmed Mohammed Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Human Rights Institute, Chongqing, China Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9832-2967

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64060/IJDSS.v2i2.153

Keywords:

Human Rights Action Plans, Rights Monitoring, Evaluation, China, Ethiopia

Abstract

States across the world have adopted various mechanisms and institutional strategies to fulfil their obligations under domestic and international human rights law. Among these mechanisms, National Human Rights Action Plans (NHRAPs) have emerged as an important policy tool since the 1993 United Nations World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, which encouraged states to develop national plans aimed at improving the promotion and protection of human rights. Following this global initiative, several countries, including the People’s Republic of China and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, have implemented successive rounds of national human rights action plans. In recent years, both China and Ethiopia have introduced new action plans designed to consolidate earlier achievements, address emerging human rights challenges, and guide future improvements in governance and policy. Against this background, the present study offers a detailed comparative examination of China’s Fourth Human Rights Action Plan (2021–2025) and Ethiopia’s Second Human Rights Action Plan (2016–2020). The analysis focuses on several key aspects, including the sources and legal foundations of the plans, the level of participation during their preparation, the strategies adopted for implementation, and the mechanisms established for monitoring and evaluation. It also evaluates how these plans are aligned with broader national development objectives and identifies potential obstacles that may affect their implementation. Through this comparative approach, the study highlights both the strengths and limitations of the two action plans. While recognizing notable achievements in each framework, the paper also identifies areas that require further improvement. Ultimately, the study seeks to derive practical lessons that China and Ethiopia can learn from one another’s experiences in human rights planning. By examining the complementarities between the two approaches, the paper argues that reciprocal learning can help both countries address existing gaps and improve the effectiveness of their future human rights initiatives.

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