By Agencies
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) says that the dream of “universal human rights” remains an aspiration rather than a reality in Zimbabwe.
In a statement marking International Human Rights Day on 10 December, ZLHR called on the Zimbabwean government to align all its actions with the human rights standards set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and other United Nations human rights treaties.
This year, International Human Rights Day is being observed under the theme “Our Everyday Essentials.” The ZLHR said:
“Despite a progressive 2013 Constitution, which contains universal human rights standards, enjoyment of human rights continues to be under threat from state and non-state actors.
“Citizens are confronted with violations of the right to education, the right to health care, the right to property and the right to freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly, among other excesses.
“Protections against internal displacements and arbitrary evictions are routinely disregarded while environmental rights are trampled upon and children, the disabled and women continue to suffer most, despite commitments made to accord them full and equal dignity.”
To make human rights truly part of everyday life, the ZLHR has called on the government to fully implement the guarantees enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), international human rights treaties to which Zimbabwe is a party, and the Constitution.
The organisation urged the government to ensure that human rights are treated as everyday essentials.
It called on authorities to cease actions that curtail or undermine citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms, and to protect, promote, and uphold the rights guaranteed under the UDHR, other international legal instruments, and the Constitution.
