About the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council (ECSOC)

The Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Council (ECSOC) is an independent apex body legally representing the civil society sector, which consists of organizations, consortia, associations, forums, and networks. ECSOC was established on December 31, 2020, by the 300 General Assembly members that consisted of CSO representatives and are the founders of the Council.

The Council was formed as per Article 85 of the Civil Society Organizations’ Proclamation 1113/2019, which stipulates that the establishment of a Council shall be governed by the full participation of “all” CSOs in Ethiopia and, further, that the Council shall “represent and coordinate the civil society sector”. This implies that ECSOC represents all CSOs in Ethiopia.