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Daniel Nemukuyu in Kadoma
secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mrs Virginia Mabiza said Government is committed to implementing the 151 recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Zimbabwe got a total of 260 recommendations during the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November last year and it accepted 151, while others were simply noted or rejected.

Part of the recommendations included, guaranteeing freedom to demonstrate, prohibition of torture, State party reporting, enforced disappearances.

Addressing human rights stakeholders at a UPR feedback meeting here yesterday, Mrs Mabiza said Zimbabwe was ready to implement the supported 151 recommendations.

She said implementation of the recommendations was crucial.

“The implementation of the accepted recommendations is key in improving the human rights situation in Zimbabwe and consequently necessary strategies, plans and systems are required to support this phase.

“In this phase, we will put in place an implementation plan, develop tools to monitor that implementation plan and develop systems to capture data and analyse patterns from which to draw lessons and eventually provide an overall picture on progress in implementing human rights recommendations of all human rights monitoring bodies,” she said.

Mrs Mabiza said Government valued stakeholder collaborations in implementing the recommendations.

“Government values collaboration and partnerships with stakeholders and will continue working with them in implementing UPR recommendations,” she said.

Government, Mrs Mabiza said, will also continue to raise awareness on the UPR process to ensure all stakeholders and citizens contribute to the human rights discourse .

In a speech read on her behalf, United Nations Development Programme country director Ms Verity Nyagah hailed Government for engaging other stakeholders in the UPR programmes.

“Expression of gratitude at the diversity of stakeholders gathered and this will bring different, yet useful, cross sectoral experiences that can certainly not be left behind when implementing the UPR second cycle outcome,” she said.

The UN, Ms Nyagah said, will continue supporting the Government of Zimbabwe in human rights implementation programmes.