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7.4 Respecting Human Rights Standards
7.4.1 UPR
Ahead of the second review of Zimbabwe by the United Nations Human
Rights council, on 5 June 2015, ZLHR submitted written submissions
on why the implementation of a recommendation to ratify the 1961
Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness to the Thematic Committee on Human Rights, Defence and Home Affairs and the Justice, Legal
and Parliamentary Affairs Committee. ZLHR also sent documents that
explained the UNHRC Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process in brief,
and highlighted proceedings during the actual review in October 2011.
ZLHR recommended that the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and
Parliamentary Affairs exercise its oversight role with regards to ratification and implementation of human rights instruments and particularly
the issue of statelessness.
ZLHR Annual Report 2015
Bheki Makhubu giving an acceptance speech after receiving
the co-award of Southern African HRDs of the year on 27
October 2015 in Kampala, Uganda.The other co-recipient
is Thulani Rudolph Maseko, who is in the background in
traditional garb.
7.4.2 SAHRDN
The Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (SAHRDN) is
a regional network set up to enhance the protection and security of
Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in Southern Africa through the establishment and sustenance of a broad, coordinated and integrated platform. ZLHR acts as the Secretariat of the Network because of its track
record in working on key human rights issues in Zimbabwe and in the
region. In 2015 SAHRDN conducted successful regional and international advocacy efforts that led to the release of the incarcerated Swaziland human rights defenders, Thulani Maseko and Bheki Makhubu on
30 June 2015 by the Swaziland Supreme Court. The two Swazi human
rights defenders, were subsequently awarded the prestigious continental award of the Southern African Human Rights Defenders of the year
on 27 October 2015 in Kampala, Uganda.
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