Ethiopia Dialogue Commission Selects 330-Member Group to Broaden Representation

Ethiopia’s National Dialogue Commission has selected a 330-member representative group intended to ensure smaller and marginalized constituencies have a voice in the national conference under way in Addis Ababa.

Chief Commissioner Mesfin Araya announced the selection on July 31, 2026, according to The Reporter. The 330 representatives were drawn from nearly 4,000 participants attending the conference at the Addis International Convention Center.

The selection involved Ethiopia’s 12 regional states, two city administrations, federal institutions, community and civic groups, youth and women’s representatives, persons with disabilities, political parties and religious institutions. Mesfin said the group will consider subjects on which the wider formal process does not reach consensus and may take up concerns raised by both large and small constituencies.

The wider conference is discussing eight broad agendas. Participants have been organized into groups of different sizes, with 500-member groups scheduled to begin their next phase of discussions on Monday, August 3. Specialists are expected to brief delegates on subjects including land policy, city-administration models, constitutional questions and federalism.

The commission says the experts’ role will be to provide technical knowledge rather than advocate a position. The creation of the smaller representative body is a procedural development in the continuing dialogue and does not itself settle any of the disputed national issues.