UN red flags Zim human rights situation

CIVIC society organisations (CSO) have submitted their report on Zimbabwe’s third cycle of the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on human rights which flagged the country’s deteriorating human rights situation.

The UPR is a UN Human Rights Council mechanism to review the fulfilment of human rights obligations of UN member states, and it covers the four and a half year period of all UN member states’ human rights records.

Zimbabwe has already taken part in two review cycles, with the current review being the third one.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum and its members in a statement yesterday, said despite the country making progress in the implementation of the recommendations from the second cycle of review, there were many human rights issues of concern that were observed.

“The CSOs’ report highlighted that out of 17 major thematic areas of recommendations from the previous UPR cycle, Zimbabwe was only partially compliant with 14. These areas include the rights to promotion of children, people with disabilities, women, health and health care, public participation, and the right to vote.

“Non-compliance was noted in relation to enforced disappearances and politically-motivated violence, human rights defenders and the operating environment of CSOs, arbitrary arrests and detention, and the use of force, torture, intimidation and harassment,” the civic organisations said.

The CSOs encouraged government to adopt and implement the recommendations of the report as it provided practical solutions that will aid it in protecting and promoting human rights.