Zambia : Democracy on Trial
Zambia : Democracy on Trial Report of a mission by the non-governmental Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative was founded, as a charity, in 1987 in a non- governmental effort to make human rights more significant for the Commonwealth and, so far as possible, to improve the conditions of citizens in what are now 53 member countries. It is supported by the Commonwealth Journalists Association, the Commonwealth Trade Union Council, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, the Commonwealth Legal Education Association and the Commonwealth Medical Association. An international Advisory Group chaired by Flora McDonald issued a comprehensive report, Put Our World to Rights, in 1991. This was influential in persuading Heads of Government meeting at Harare to adopt a strong commitment to human rights. In 1992 the Initiative appointed a new Advisory Commission, chaired by Dr. Kamal Hossain. This Advisory Commission issued a further report, Act Right Now, in 1993, urging action to fulfil the promise of Harare. The latest report, Rights Do Matter, was issued in 1995 with a view to strengthening the Harare commitments. The Initiative office moved from London to New Delhi on 1 August 1993 and was inaugurated the following day in the presence of the Vice-President of India and Dr. Kamal Hossain. Among its activities for that year, the Initiative ran a workshop for non- governmental organisations in Kenya, in September 1993, on the Protection of the Rights of Refugees. In December 1994 it held one in New Delhi on Police, Prisons and Human Rights in South Asia and in February 1996 with Minority Rights Group, another on the rights of tribal and indigenous peoples.
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