Government must implement UPR recommendations

ZIMBABWE Lawyers for Human Rights (ZHLR) urges the government to fully embrace the progressive recommendations that were made by United Nations (UN) member States in Geneva on January 26, 2022 during the UN Human Rights Council-led Universal Periodic Review (UPR) interactive dialogue session.

The UPR is a special peer review mechanism led by the UN Human Rights Council to examine the human rights records of all the 193 member States of the UN.

It was established in 2006 when the UN General Assembly created the UN Human Rights Council.

The UPR process aims to improve the human rights situation in all nations of the world by providing a platform for member States to make recommendations, and review each other to encourage adherence to human rights best practices.

It is a unique mechanism designed in a manner that ensures that all countries are treated equally when their human rights records are assessed.

States are assessed periodically, at least every four-and-half years, when their implementation of State recommendations on human rights compliance made in the previous cycles is reviewed.

Last month, Zimbabwe’s human rights record was examined by the UPR working group at its Third Cycle review meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Zimbabwean delegation was led by Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi. The review was based on:

● a national report consisting of information provided by the State;

● the reports of independent human rights experts and groups (special procedures), human rights treaty bodies and other UN entities; and

● the information contained in the reports of other stakeholders, such as national human rights institutions, regional organisations and civil society groups.

ZLHR and 67 other civil society organisations (CSOs) contributed to the stakeholders report through a joint CSO stakeholder submissions report on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe.

Ahead of the review, this report was further developed into an advocacy charter with at least 84 CSOs. During the Interactive Dialogue session, UN member States provided extensive recommendations for the improvement of the human rights situation in Zimbabwe and the alignment of the nation’s domestic laws with its international obligations. Zimbabwe Lawyers for

Human Rights