Claiming Human Rights - in Zimbabwe

The Republic of Zimbabwe is a member of the United Nations and the African Union. It has ratified many UN Human Rights Conventions (compare list on the right) and thus has made binding international commitments to adhere to the standards laid down in these universal human rights documents.

Zimbabwe is an English-speaking country in Southern Africa. It is a landlocked, middle-sized country with an area of 390,757 square km. On a global scale, its population density is low. The capital of the country, which became independent on 18 April 1980 from the United Kingdom, is Harare. Zimbabwe is a member of the regional economic communities SADC and COMESA.

Zimbabwe is not listed in the UNDP Human Development Report of 2009. Life expectancy of the 12.5 million inhabitants at birth is 45 years, population growth is 0.1 percent per year. GNI is 360 US-$ per capita. External debt is 132.1 percent of gross national income. Primary school enrolment is 87.8 percent.

In as far as Zimbabwe has ratified the Optional Protocols for UN Human Rights Conventions or has accepted the Competence of the corresponding UN Treaty Bodies (compare list on the right), the inhabitants of Zimbabwe and their representatives are able to invoke their human rights through these bodies.

All inhabitants of Zimbabwe may turn to the UN Human Rights Committee through procedure 1503, to the Special Rapporteurs for violations of specific human rights or to ECOSOC for women's rights violations.

Since Zimbabwe is a member state of UNESCO, its citizens may use the UNESCO procedure for human rights violations in UNESCO's fields of mandate.

Employers' or workers' and certain other organizations (not individuals) of Zimbabwe may file complaints through the ILO procedure in the cases of those conventions which Zimbabwe has ratified.

Since Zimbabwe is an AU member, its citizens and NGOs may file complaints to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

They may also file complaints according to the EU guidelines (on Human Rights Defenders, Death Penalty and Torture) to Embassies of EU Member States and the Delegations of the European Commission.

In cases of human rights violations by multinational enterprises, they may also invoke the National Contact Point in an OECD member state.

Zimbabwe has not yet joined the International Criminal Court.