The Zambia human rights commission: Historical establishment: Success or failure meeting and implementing the Paris principles
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Date
2013-05-09
Authors
Mwiba, Mwenda
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Abstract
The focus of this research is on the historical establishment of the Zambia Human Rights Commission and whether the institution, in its establishment process and works, has met and is implementing the guidelines contained in the Paris Principles which were established following the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993. The guidelines require that a national human rights institution should act as a source of human rights information for the government and people of the country; assist in educating public opinion and promoting awareness and respect for human rights; consider, deliberate upon, and make recommendations regarding any particular state of affairs that may exist nationally and that the government may wish to refer to it; advise on any questions regarding human rights matters referred to it by the government; study and keep under review the status of legislation, judicial decisions and administrative arrangements for the promotion of human rights, and to prepare and submit reports on such matters to the appropriate authorities; as well as performing any other function which the Government may wish to assign to it in connection with the duties of the State under international human rights treaties and instruments as a state party. This research has therefore attached great importance to the establishment process, the provisions of the Human Rights Commission Act No 39 of 1996 (being the enabling Act), the independence of the institution, impartiality, financial control, the mandate, functions and powers of the Commission and other issues that are used to measure or determine the effectiveness of any national human rights institution (NHRI) under the Paris Principles.
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Keywords
Human Rights-Zambia , Civil Rights-Zambia