A consultation forum in connection with collaborations between the private sector and the civil society sector has taken place on Friday April 28, 2023.

In his welcome note, Executive Director of theEthiopian Civil Society Organizations Council, Henok Melesse underlined, "Civil society organizations are participating in various income generating activities as permitted by law to increase their financial capacity for development and humanitarian support work. In short, the institutional changes we see in both sectors indicate that one has penetrated into the other sector. This highlights the importance of cooperation and working together between the two sectors, and also confirms that it is essential to create clarity on the related institutional and legal framework issues.

Members from civil society organizations and the private sector as well as Social Entrepreneurs and company owners were present at the discussion and advised on the need for cooperation between the two sectors and the legal frameworks that should exist in the future.

In particular, the absence of law regarding social enterprises that operate with moderate profit and social responsibility as a center has been raised as a major challenge. The participants have underscored that collaborative work is vital in order to create this legal framework.