24 – 28 June, 2019
UN New York
The annual Meeting of Chairpersons of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies takes place at the United Nations in New York for the period 24 to 28th June 2019. The meeting provides a forum for members of the ten human rights treaty bodies 1. Human Rights Committee, 2. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 3. Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination, 4. Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women,
5. Committee against Torture, 6. Committee on the Rights of the Child, 7. Committee on
Migrant Workers, 8. Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 9. Committee on Enforced Disappearance, and, 10, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, to discuss their work and consider ways to enhance the effectiveness of the treaty body system as a whole.
The Declaration on Human Rights Defenders acknowledges the legitimacy of participation in peaceful activities to protest violations of human rights and recognizes freedom of assembly as a very important element of this right. The Treaty Bodies reiterate the importance of human rights defenders being able to act freely and without any interference, intimidation, abuse, threat, violence, reprisal or undue restriction. Creating a safe and enabling environment, by promoting respect and support for the activities of human rights defenders, is essential for the promotion, protection and defense of human rights. All Zimbabweans, except for the ZANU-PF junta, the supporters and their families, are human rights defenders who, individually or in association with others, act or seek to act to promote, protect or strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms in their country. Zimbabweans relentlessly seek to advocate for, vindicate, enforce, protect and promote human rights in their country.
In Zimbabwe, we see restrictions to the right of peaceful assembly, limitations to where public protests can be held, to violent repression of demonstrations. The Human Rights Treaty Bodies say “These restrictions need to stop.” Zimbabweans have now endured the horror of a catastrophic humanitarian crisis for 38 years and have been disenfranchised and rendered powerless by autocratic rule.
A democratic election has been elusive in Zimbabwe since the country became independent. For Zimbabweans, the right to freedom of peaceful assembly often comes under increased attack during elections or periods of political transition, affecting the scope of the citizens’ human rights. In Zimbabwe, political opponents of the ruling ZANU-PF party and human rights defenders advocating for political change during election periods face judicial, physical, verbal harassment and even death. There is a disquieting trend of the military’s continued interference in civilian matters, particularly in perpetrating violations against civilians. Protestors or any show of dissent have been met with heavy criticism, restrictions and deadly force from military leaders. For example, on 1 August 2018, Zimbabwean armed forces used particularly violent methods, including the use of live ammunition and batons, to suppress protests and dissent that broke out after the announcement of the country’s presidential election results of the previous month was delayed. Seven people were reported shot dead on the streets of Harare and many were left with disfiguring injuries. Also, on January 14th, 2019 the government of Zimbabwe deployed the armed forces and baton stick wielding policemen on citizens who were demonstrating against exorbitant fuel price hikes. The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum released a report on the human rights violations committed in Zimbabwe. They reported seventeen (17) extra-judicial killings, 954 arbitrary arrests, and 586 assaults, noting that the numbers may be higher nationwide.
There is a massive onslaught on the citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and association by the Zimbabwe dictatorial government. Treaty Bodies remind State parties of their responsibility to ensure that human rights defenders are effectively protected against any and all interference, intimidation, abuse, threat, violence, reprisal, or undue restriction, and any other negative consequence that they might experience in association with their actions to promote the realization of rights, including by cooperating and engaging with the human rights Treaty Bodies.
The Treaty Bodies say they strongly condemn acts of intimidation or reprisal, including against those who seek to cooperate, or who have cooperated with the Treaty Bodies.
Zimbabweans want to know from Human Rights groups and from the current deliberations of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies meeting at the UN in New York right now, where their rights are. What have these bodies done for the people of Zimbabwe? Killings abductions and beatings continue as Zimbabweans seek democracy and the repressive junta entrenches even more. Since November 2017 when the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) played a prominent role in the elevation of President Emmerson Mnangagwa to office, there has been a steady rise of human rights violations that the army is responsible for. This was most apparent when the force brutally stamped dissent in 1 August 2018 fatal shootings and January 2019 killings.
During the last week of May 2019 Zimbabwean authorities escalated attack on human rights defenders when they arrested seven human rights defenders at the Harare airport as they returned from a capacity-building workshop on non-violent protest tactics in the Maldives. Over 3 million Zimbabweans live as political and economic refugees, asylees and activists all over the world. Going back to Zimbabwe is not an option for many, as their names are on the “DICTATOR’S LIST” for speaking about atrocities, human rights issues, and oppression back home in Zimbabwe. The Treaty Bodies consider any interference, intimidation, abuse, threat, violence, reprisal or undue restrictions against human rights defenders as constituting a violation of the States’ obligations towards the realization of rights set out in the Treaties. What are the Treaty Bodies doing to protect the millions of dispersed and local Zimbabwean human rights defenders targeted by the Zimbabwe junta?
Please, Chairs of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies as you attend this 31st session of the body, where is your outrage on this ongoing Zimbabwean Humanitarian crisis?
1. Human Rights Committee; there is a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe
2. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Zimbabweans are living in abject poverty and are denied basic needs like water, food and medicine.
3. Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women; Zimbabwean women and young girls continue to be tortured and raped and killed for being women and for their political beliefs.
4. Committee against Torture; graphic pictures of broken, torn up, mutilated tortured, barely alive and dead Zimbabweans are abound on the internet and with media houses.
5. Committee on the Rights of the Child; Children as young as 11 years old were beaten up and incarcerated by the Zimbabwe armed forces during the January 2019 wave of repression.
6. Committee on Enforced Disappearance; have you heard of Itayi Dzamara and innumerable others who have disappeared in Zimbabwe?
7. Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture; Zimbabwean citizens need your help. They are
being tortured for wanting their civil liberties.
Way forward
Chairs of the various committees, as you discuss your work and consider ways to enhance the effectiveness of the treaty body system, please remember long suffering Zimbabweans. You can streamline and improve the human rights reporting procedures, and then what? Zimbabweans as human rights defenders do not only want to be compliant with the Treaties, identify human rights violations and make reports on violations to Human Rights authorities, Zimbabweans also want to assist in developing and implementing public policies compliant with treaty obligations because of their 39 years’ experience of human rights crisis under dictatorships. Our suffering continues while Human Rights authorities gather statistics and produce reports after reports. The stories and experiences of Zimbabwean human rights defenders will benefit Treaty Bodies in the monitoring and implementation of the treaties and is a valuable early warning system to alert the international community to real, potential or imminent threats to national peace, freedom, and security.