6.4 Civil Society Organisations During the course of the electoral cycle the Commission was invited to numerous workshops, meetings and other public events that CSOs conducted in the run up to the 2018 harmonised elections. These were platforms for dialogue towards ensuring the maintenance of peace amongst communities and implementing activities which encouraged the public to work towards refraining from political violence like what happened in 2008. CSOs informed each other on the electoral activities they were undertaking and opened room for synergies in order to minimise duplication of activities. Some CSOs established hubs in all the ten (10) Provinces, created social media platforms and online applications which were tools used in tracking and detecting incidents of politically motivated violence which they would refer to relevant authorities. ZHRC, received a number of cases from CSOs which the organisation independently investigated. Furthermore, in some instances the Commission referred cases to CSOs that had the relevant expertise to address the matters. In a nutshell, ZHRC continues to establish and maintain relations with various stakeholders that assist the institution in executing its mandate. ZHRC is cognisant of the fact that it cannot operate in a vacuum and thus needs the cooperation of stakeholders towards enhancing the promotion and protection of human rights in Zimbabwe. This is in line with the Paris Principles which require NHRIs to work with Government and CSOs. Page 47 of 55