ON the occasion of International Human Rights Day, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) calls upon government to treat all people with dignity and guarantee freedom and access to justice for citizens.
Commemorated annually on 10 December, International Human Rights Day is marked to create awareness and mobilise political will to promote respect for human rights and freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted by the United Nations in 1948.
The UDHR is a global blueprint and a milestone document which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being.
In 2022, International Human Rights Day is commemorated ahead of the 75th anniversary of UDHR, which will be celebrated on 10 December 2023, under the theme “Dignity, Freedom and Justice for All”.
The theme emphasises the importance of placing dignity, freedom and justice at the heart of human rights.
Since 1948, when the UDHR was adopted, several human rights instruments have been adopted. The UDHR has served as a foundation for an expanding system of human rights protection.
But the promise of the UDHR, of dignity, freedom, justice and equality in rights, has been under attack with the world increasingly grappling with a myriad of crisis ranging from a climate change, diseases, conflicts, war, economic instability, injustices and misinformation owing to inaction by governments and other duty-bearers to protect and safeguard human rights.
In Zimbabwe, violations of citizens’ rights reverberate across the country with exercise and enjoyment of human rights remaining under a sustained assault by both state and non-state actors.
In recent months, Zimbabwe has witnessed an exponential regression on human rights with an unprecedented assault of citizens’ basic rights and freedoms and promulgation of retrogressive laws.
All this is taking place despite Zimbabwe being a member of the United Nations which comes with obligations to respect, and fulfil commitments contained in the UDHR and other numerous voluntary commitments agreed to by government by virtue of being a state party to several regional and international legal instruments.
ZLHR is greatly concerned that by enacting repressive pieces of legislation such as the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill and the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Bill, which will criminalise conduct perceived to “undermine” the country’s “sovereignty and national interests”, government is merely seeking to completely control civil society and effectively make organisations to become its extension and to prescribe patriotic conduct, which ought to be an intrinsic feeling and not a legislated responsibility.
To restore dignity, freedom and ensure access to justice for all, ZLHR urges government to;
- Act in good faith and protect, promote and uphold human rightsprovided in the UDHR and other legal instruments including fully aligning laws to the Constitution;
- Cease curtailment and the assault on citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms and allow them to enjoy and exercise their right to peaceful assembly, association and free expression;
- Withdraw the PVO Amendment Bill from Parliament and stop processes to enact the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Bill.
- To stem political violence and inculcate a culture of tolerance and
non-violence in settling disputes ahead of 2023 general elections.
ENDS
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
Kodzero/Amalungelo House
No. 103 Sam Nujoma Street, Harare, Zimbabwe
Phone: (+263 8677005347, +263 242 764085/705370/708118
Email: info@zlhr.org.zw
www.zlhr.org.zw
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