VI. Zimbabwe’s Obligations under Regional and International Law Under international human rights law, every person has the rights to food, to the highest attainable standard of health, to life, to seek, receive and impart information, to nondiscrimination and equal protection of the law, and to be protected from violence, among other rights. International human rights law also requires states to address persistent violations of human rights and take measures to prevent their occurrence. These rights are guaranteed by important international and regional treaties to which Zimbabwe is a party. These include the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR). Right to Food The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights guarantee the right to food. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, couches the right within the broader context of an adequate standard of living that includes health, food, medical care, social services, and economic security.93 As a party to the ICESCR, which Zimbabwe ratified in 1991, Zimbabwe recognizes the right of everyone to adequate food. It agrees to “take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right,” including working cooperatively with the international community to alleviate hunger within its borders.94 The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the international expert body that monitors state compliance with the ICESCR, stressed in its General Comment No. 12, the need for accountability and transparency in implementing national strategies for the right to food: 93 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Resolution 217 A (III), December 10, 1948, art. 25. 94 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (iCESCR), Resolution 2200 A (XXI), December 16, 1966, art. 11(1). Zimbabwe ratified the ICESCR on May 13, 1991. Crisis without Limits 28