Zecharias Fassil 2. Every Ethiopian shall be entitled to the rights, protections, and benefits deriving, in accordance with the law, from Ethiopian citizenship. Marriage of an Ethiopian citizen of either sex to a foreign citizen shall not result in the loss of Ethiopian citizenship. 3. Ethiopians shall have the right to change their citizenship. 4. Ethiopian citizenship may be granted to foreigners in accordance with laws and procedures enacted in a manner not inconsistent with international agreements ratified by Ethiopia. Article 36 The Rights of the Child (b) [Every child has] the right to a name and nationality. The 2003 nationality law A quick comparison between the 1930 and 2003 laws reveals that the 2003 Proclamation removed the gender discrimination that was in the 1930 law. It amended that an Ethiopian national of either sex may pass nationality to his or her spouse, and also simply stated that “any person shall be an Ethiopian national by descent where both or either of his parents is Ethiopian.” The proclamation also eased restrictions on naturalisation and provided that “all Ethiopian nationals shall have equal rights and obligations of citizenship regardless of the manner in which nationality is acquired.” Regulation The relevant regulation in this regard is the Council of Ministers regulation to provide for the definition of power, duty and organisation structure of the Immigration, Nationality and Vital Events Agency 449/2019. In the context of the Ethiopian legal system, regulations provide implementation rules for primary legislation and proclamations. This regulation, however, focuses on the powers and functions of the agency but does not give clear guidance to further elaborate the substantive rights enshrined in the nationality proclamation. 6.1. Modes of acquisition of Ethiopian citizenship Proclamation No. 378/2003 on Ethiopian Nationality provides for nationality to be acquired primarily on the basis of descent. It also includes provisions on acquisition after birth based on adoption, marriage and naturalisation. Nationality by Descent The Proclamation on Ethiopian Nationality of 2003 indicates the following regarding the acquisition of Ethiopian nationality by descent and the conditions to be fulfilled: 3. Acquisition by Descent - Any person shall be an Ethiopian national by descent where both or either of his parent is Ethiopian. 14 RSCAS/GLOBALCIT-CR 2020/9- © 2020 Author(s)