A/HRC/34/8
sustainable and equitable economic and social development. A monitoring and evaluation
framework had also been adopted, to measure development-related efforts.
8.
In partnership with the World Bank, the Government had embarked on the ease of
doing business project, to improve the international ranking of the country as a sound
investment destination.
9.
To ensure food security, the Government, in partnership with the private sector, had
embarked on a special maize production programme.
10.
Since the previous review, in 2013 Zimbabwe had adopted a new Constitution,
which had been lauded for its foundational democratic elements and its expanded
Declaration of Rights. The Constitution had brought about the establishment of the
Constitutional Court. The alignment of all legislation was in progress. The Constitution
obliged the Government to ensure that all international conventions, treaties and
agreements to which Zimbabwe was a party would be incorporated into domestic law. In
that regard, a “ratification and domestication strategy” had been adopted to accelerate the
process of ratifying international instruments and incorporating them into domestic law.
11.
Zimbabwe had ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
and its Optional Protocol, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in
Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention
against Transnational Organized Crime, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and the Optional
Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child
prostitution and child pornography. Reports had been submitted to the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on the Rights of the Child
and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
12.
The Government had prioritized programmes aimed at promoting public awareness
of human rights, which included radio broadcasts and exhibitions. The Constitution had
been widely distributed, with abridged versions made available in eight languages and
Braille. The Constitution had also been available on the government website.
13.
The Government had achieved the institutionalization of the promotion of human
rights through the establishment of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission. The
Zimbabwe Media Commission and the Zimbabwe Gender Commission had become
operational, while the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had been further strengthened.
Legislation enabling the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission to become
operational was before Parliament.
14.
Nine additional resident magistrates’ courts in six provinces had been established.
Legislation to designate all magistrates’ courts as small claims courts was before
Parliament. The legal aid programme had been decentralized.
15.
The delegation responded to questions received in advance of the review. On the
issue of early marriage, the delegation stated that the Constitution set the age of marriage at
18 years, which had been confirmed by the Constitutional Court. The marriage laws were
being aligned with the Constitution.
16.
On the issue of birth registration, the delegation stated that 206 birth registration
sub-offices had opened. Schools too assisted pupils in obtaining birth certificates.
17.
On the issue of food security, the delegation stated that drop-in centres had been
established in five major towns, where food was distributed to children living in the streets.
Food was also being distributed to orphans, children in rural areas, families headed by
children and children with disabilities. The Home-grown School Feeding Programme for
children in schools was being rolled out in phases starting with infant learners.
4
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