38 6.2 Contributing Technical Expertise at the Regional and Global Level Elections and Democracy ZLHR members were involved in several regional election observation missions under the ambit of the SADC Lawyers’ Association. Through the observation missions, and strategic meetings to review trends, practices and challenges, ZLHR contributed knowledge and expertise to addressing electoral and democracy shortfalls in the region and strengthening civic and law-based organisational involvement in such processes at the national and regional level. to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. It is expected that this will contribute to the development of an African Union Protocol on Freedom of Assembly and Association in future years, thus strengthening the instruments available to human rights defenders throughout Africa. Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Civic Space ZLHR also participated in the launch of a study, to which it contributed, entitled ‘Strategies for Enabling Civil Society Organisations’. This took place in Geneva, Switzerland, with the participation of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Freedom of Association. ZLHR shared its concerns on challenges and experiences from Zimbabwe such as the targeting of civil society organisations and criminalisation of work of HRDs. The Special Rapporteur highlighted how the study remained relevant to all human rights defenders in different parts of the world who were also facing challenges of shrinking space. He called on states to honour their responsibilities at the international level. The meeting was also an opportunity to share information on the operating environment for human rights defenders from different regions of the world and share strategies to overcome common challenges. African Human Rights Defenders’ Protection Strategies ZLHR Annual Report 2014 Irene Petras and Connie Zhuwarara of ZLHR participate during a panel discussion at the SADC LA Conference Freedom of Assembly and Association ZLHR was included in a team of technical experts undertaking a study on Freedom of Assembly and Association in Africa on behalf of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. In 2014, meetings were held with the African Commission’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in Accra, Ghana, to validate the report, after which it was presented ZLHR’s manager for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders programme was included in a panel to share information and experiences on advocacy strategies using the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. This took place in Luanda, Angola, during the NGO Forum before the 55th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The panel was organised by the International Services for Human Rights. It registered dynamic and interactive participation as well as constructive exchange of information, experiences and expertise from various geographical regions. ZLHR presented on how the organisation had made use of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to advocate for the protection of human rights defenders in Zimbabwe through the use of Urgent Appeals,