International obligations Including governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights Summary In 2013 Zimbabwe had a very poor record of responding to visit requests by international bodies and there were at least 8 pending visit requests by the UNHRC special mandates. Numerous statements and requests were also issued by international NGOs and intergovernmental organisations such as the UN and the EU for the government to respect its obligations under international law, to which there were no positive responses. In detail Based on historical reasons there are two distinct covenants, on civil and political rights (ICCPR) and economic, social and cultural rights (ICESCR), however there is only one set of human rights, as originally outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. UN Member States, including Zimbabwe, agreed at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993 that “all human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated,” and that “the international community must treat human rights globally in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing, and with the same emphasis.” This implied recognition that no human right can be achieved fully without the enjoyment of other rights31. In 2013 Zimbabwe had a very poor record of responding to visit requests by international bodies and there were at least 8 pending visit requests by the UNHRC special mandates. Numerous statements and requests were also issued by international NGOs for the government to respect its obligations under international law, to which there were no positive responses. On 19 March 2013, as police continued to clamp down on the rights of the public, Human Rights Watch issued a statement urging SADC to press for democratic space ahead of the elections32. On 27 February 2013, in Geneva, prompted by an increasing number of human rights violations reports coming from Zimbabwe, three United Nations Special Rapporteurs issued a rare public joint statement addressed to the Government of Zimbabwe. The statement urged the Government of Zimbabwe to respect international human rights norms and standards pertaining to freedoms of association, of peaceful assembly and of expression in the run up to the constitutional referendum on 16 March and subsequent elections.. “In the context of proposed constitutional reforms and the elections, it is disturbing and shocking to learn that civil society organizations that have been operating for years, including election monitoring groups which aim to promote free and fair 31 Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at the University of Zimbabwe, May 24, 2012, http://www.newzimbabwe.com/opinion-8073-Full%20text%20UN%20rights%20chiefs%20lecture%20at%20UZ/opinion. aspx 32 http://www.hrw.org/node/114291 59