programs that provide food to acutely vulnerable Zimbabweans, such as orphans and households with chronically ill members. The right to food is guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. In particular, the Covenant obligates both the government of Zimbabwe and the international community to utilize all available resources and capacities to ensure Zimbabweans’ have access to sufficient quantities of food. Compliance requires that assistance to those in need be provided without discrimination on any basis, and with respect for the principles of accountability and transparency. States Parties to the Covenant also have the responsibility to ensure that State actions do not undermine their citizens’ right to food. This briefing paper is a follow up to the report “Not Eligible: The Politicization of Food in Zimbabwe,” produced by HRW in October 2003. It finds that the situation has improved somewhat, though cause for concern remains, given the lack of verifiable information concerning grain supplies and the government’s decision not to renew its appeal for international food assistance. II. RECOMMENDATIONS To the Government of Zimbabwe: • Publish all figures on maize imported into Zimbabwe and traded internally by the GMB as well as figures on the size of the government’s strategic maize reserve. • Develop and publish a 2004-5 policy and plan of action for the GMB to distribute and sell food to all persons in need irrespective of their race, religion, ethnicity, regional origin or residence, sex, or political affiliation. The policy and plan should be widely disseminated throughout Zimbabwe. • Implement a transparent registration and distribution system that provides for community participation beyond traditional leadership and facilitates GMB maize distributions to all vulnerable persons, irrespective of political affiliation. • Instruct politicians and traditional leaders that food is not to be used to influence or reward constituents or voters. • Guarantee and facilitate unrestricted access for independent food and vulnerability experts, relief agencies and the U.N. to conduct comprehensive crop and vulnerability assessments and to provide humanitarian assistance to all vulnerable persons. 2