A/HRC/19/14 85. Romania noticed elements of progress in the overall human rights situation in the country but pointed out that challenges in the human rights protection system remained. It noted that, despite an invitation, the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture was denied the right to visit in 2009. Romania made recommendations. 86. Switzerland noted with appreciation that the Government had adopted national policies aimed at promoting the democratic process. However, it mentioned that the perpetrators of the serious violations of human rights carried out during the last presidential elections had not been yet brought to justice. It also indicated that, despite an official invitation, the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture was denied access to the country in 2009. Switzerland made recommendations. 87. Spain hoped that the new Constitution’s development would allow progress in recognizing and protecting human rights in Zimbabwe. Spain acknowledged the high level of literacy and the results of fight against AIDS. Spain noted the resettlement of thousands of people from Marange region and the operations to re-establish order, which have left thousands of people homeless. Spain made recommendations. 88. With respect to the problem of care for orphans arising from the internal conflict in the Anglican Church, Zimbabwe indicated that the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare would continue monitoring the situation to ensure that no orphan would go unattended. 89. Zimbabwe recalled that POSA, as an act of Parliament, did not discriminate on the grounds of political affiliation, race, gender, etc. The rationale of POSA was to ensure a delicate balance between the rights of demonstrators and others who wanted to proceed with their daily business without hindrance. Zimbabwe indicated that its police participated in many United Nations peacekeeping missions. 90. Regarding conditions of detention, in 2000 the Government established the “open prison” system which sought to promote rehabilitation and reintegration by allowing inmates to leave and work under minimal supervision. The system was meant to decongest the country’s prisons while enhancing the programme of rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates back into their societies. There was one open prison for male inmates. However, preparations for opening an open prison for female inmates were under way and there were plans to hold all female inmates under the open prison system as they were usually convicted of offences which did not require custodial sentences. 91. The Government of Zimbabwe has extended invitations to all special-procedures mandate holders, but the problem had been failure to reach agreement on the timing of the visits. 92. Zimbabwe raised the issue of interdependence between civil and political rights and the economic, social and cultural rights. It underlined that Member States seemed to play with a double standard over their commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. It reaffirmed that the two set of rights were interdependent and the violations of one set affected the other. Zimbabwe stressed it was under economic sanctions imposed illegally by the European Union, the United Kingdom, some Commonwealth countries and the United States of America and that those countries had the obligation under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights not to damage the rights of peoples in developing countries. On the subject of the Marange diamonds, the delegation stressed that allegations of human rights violations were false; Zimbabwe invited countries to visit the Marange area without prior notice and assess the situation on the ground, but no country had responded to that invitation. 12