'Govt Has Ignored Calls To Stop Torture, Forced Disappearances'
The Government of Zimbabwe has adopted only 127 out of 264 recommendations made during the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process on 26 January.
Zimbabwe reportedly ignored recommendations on torture and other human rights abuses and only adopted recommendations on social-economic justice.
Speaking during a UPR review meeting hosted by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum on Thursday, Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe programmes manager Mercy Jaravani said:
The top 11 deferred recommendations by the government include the adoption of necessary measures to guarantee the protection of journalists and human rights defenders.
The government also deferred amending laws that guarantee the protection of civic space.
The government also deferred the UN Convention Against Torture, Protection of all Persons Against Forced Disappearance, providing redress to victims of torture as well as the full implementation of the recommendations of the Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry.
The Government, however, made a commitment to support 48% of the 264 recommendations. Said Jaravani:
Government made a commitment to address increasing measures to mitigate change and over-relying on climate-sensitive sectors as key to reducing the country’s vulnerability, to provide citizens with birth certificates and national identity cards in order to ensure access to education, government services, voter roll and many more.
The Government is expected to announce its position on the Third UPR process between June and July this year before the sitting of the Human Rights Council.
