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ZLHR
Granted Observer Status With The African Commission On Human And
Peoples Rights
Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights (ZLHR)
April 29, 2005
The
Chairperson, Board, members, the Executive Director and Secretariat
of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights do hereby announce the
granting to ZLHR of Observer Status with the African Commission
on Human and People’s Rights.
The
Commission, sitting in Public Session at its 37th Ordinary session
in Banjul, the Gambia, on Wednesday 27th April resolved
to award ZLHR this invaluable status.
About ACHPR-Observer
Status and What It Means for ZLHR and Zimbabwe(ans)
The
ACHPR has two principal functions:
- Promotion
of human and peoples’ rights in Africa.
The
main essence of this function is to sensitise the population and
disseminate information on human and peoples’ rights in Africa
through various ways and means chief among them being to ‘collect
documents, undertake studies and researches on African problems
in the field of human rights and peoples’ rights…. encourage national
and local institutions concerned with human and peoples’ rights…give
its views or make recommendations to governments’. Article 45(1)
of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
- Protection
of human and peoples’ rights in Africa. In addition to
these the ACHPR is also tasked with the interpretation of
the provisions of the Charter; and any other task
assigned to it by the AU Assembly. Fulfilling this mandate
is no easy task for any commission and there has been the greatest
need to cooperate with NGOs and inter-governmental organisations
in many areas relating to the promotion and protection of human
rights.
Since
1988, in a bid to strengthen cooperation in executing its mandate,
the Commission has been granting Observer Status to NGOs. As at
the ACHPR’s 36th Ordinary Session held in Senegal from
23 November to 7th December 2004, 319 NGOs had
been granted Observer Status.
ACHPR
observer status is granted to national and international NGOs to
assist the Commission in its mandate to promote the protection and
promotion of human rights in Africa.
ZLHR
will thus be in a position to actively participate and assist the
ACHPR promote and protect human and peoples’ rights in Zimbabwe
and beyond.
It is therefore
with a great sense of pride that ZLHR publicises its new status.
It is the view of ZLHR that the status is a recognition of the sterling
work that it has done in promoting and protecting human rights in
Zimbabwe and beyond. It also takes the opportunity to thank all
who have been supportive in its activities and programmes.
Visit the ZLHR
fact
sheet
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