BACKGROUND Civil Society Organisations formed an independent monitoring and evaluating mechanism in order to assess how the implementation of the GPA would lead to a restoration of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. It must be noted that the GPA has an inbuilt monitoring body, the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC), which comprises of representatives of the three principals. However, CSOs realised the compromises that can befall this body, hence the decision to set up an independent monitoring mechanism. Civil Society Organisations are non-partisan, independent and impartial bodies whose main functions are to foster a culture of human rights, justice and social and economic improvement and to promote and advance the interest of marginalised and victimised people.1 They remain authoritative voices for a large portion of the population through their representative grass-roots structures. The establishment of this monitoring mechanism, on 25 February 2009 – just after the formation of the IG, was itself a culmination of meetings held with various civil society organisations at which specific benchmarks were agreed upon and allocated to particular organisations based on resources, capacity and technical expertise. CISOMM reports continue to operate as a coordinated effort by a number of CSOs in the gathering of information from the activities on the ground juxtaposed against the provision of the GPA, which were adopted as benchmarks in the following analysis. The thematic issues considered in line with the setting up of the clusters include economic recovery, constitutional reform, human rights, institutional transformation, humanitarian and food assistance, media reform as well as freedom of expression and national healing. The format of presentation used in this report entails a focus on each cluster, dwells on issues of compliance with the GPA on the basis of empirical evidence and then moves on to a discussion on cases of non-compliance grounded on empirical cases. The discussion on compliance and non-compliance for each cluster is capped by recommendations which may assist policymakers in the future. These reports are shared with parliamentarians, JOMIC, civil society and other regional groups.  Symposium Declaration: Civil Society and Justice in Zimbabwe. Johannesburg, South Africa, 13 August 2003. 1 CIVIL SOCIETY MONITORING MECHANISM (CISOMM) SIX MONTH SHADOW REPORT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE INCLUSIVE OF ZIMBABWE 4