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NGOs Forum resolution on Zimbabwe
MISA-Zimbabwe
November 10, 2008

The Forum for the Participation of NGOs meeting which ended in Abuja, Nigeria, on 9 November 2008 ahead of the 44th Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) urged the Commission to adopt the Forum's resolution mandating the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as guarantors of Zimbabwe's Global Political Agreement to ensure the immediate and conclusive implementation of the agreement.

Delegates to the Forum which preceded the 44th Ordinary Session of the ACHPR noted that the political crisis in Zimbabwe remained unresolved vis-à-vis the worsening humanitarian crisis, reports of renewed cases of politically motivated violence and collapse of the social services delivery system.

The Forum said the ACHPR should impress on the AU and SADC to take the necessary measures to ensure the immediate and unconditional resumption of humanitarian assistance and in particular, for the authorities in Zimbabwe to refrain from hindering the operations of relief aid agencies.

The AU and SADC should also impress the Zimbabwean authorities to take effective measures to stop all forms of politically motivated violence and allow for free political activity, including the opening of space for a free media and civil society.

Below is the full text of the Forum's resolution on Zimbabwe:

We, the participants at the Forum for the Participation of NGOs at the 44th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights,

Noting that the signing of the Global Political Agreement on the 15th of September 2008 created an opportunity to address the underlying causes of the crisis in Zimbabwe;

Further noting that the agreement between the three major political parties does not involve ordinary people nor civil society actors, thus depriving the people of Zimbabwe a say in the issues affecting their own lives

Noting that the political crisis in Zimbabwe remains unresolved;

Concerned about the inordinate delays in the implementation of the agreement;

Considering the worsening humanitarian and political crisis in Zimbabwe;

Further concerned that there are reports of renewed cases of politically motivated violence and collapse of the social service delivery system;

Alarmed that the authorities in Zimbabwe continue to fail and or neglect to take immediate measures to address the worsening social, economic and political crisis;

Observing that in the absence of a legitimate and functional government that receives full international recognition and assistance the deteriorating Zimbabwean crisis has potentially disastrous consequences for the country, the SADC and Africa as a whole;

We call upon the African Commission to:

1. Call upon the AU and SADC to take measures ensuring immediate and unconditional resumption of humanitarian assistance, in particular, for the authorities in Zimbabwe to refrain from hindering the operations relief-aid agencies;
2. Call upon the AU and SADC to impress upon the Zimbabwean authorities to take effective measures to stop all forms of politically motivated violence and allow for free political activity, including the opening up of space for the media and civil society.
3. To allow for unimpeded access of NGOs to communities and individuals in need of humanitarian assistance including food and life saving medical attention.
4. Specifically facilitate the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders to set guidelines and concrete processes for engagement with the Zimbabwean government in regard to the systematically and specific targeting of women human rights defenders
5. To remind Zimbabwe of its obligations to regional and international agreements and its current violation of the rights of women Human rights defenders in relation to continued detentions, threats intimidations and gender based violence and to guarantee women human rights defenders of their right to freedom of assembly, expression and participation in political processes without fear of persecution.

Visit the MISA-Zimbabwe fact sheet

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