ZIMBABWE: Constitutional reform & Human Rights Protection
	for nytaf@ursula; Fri, 11 Feb 2000 09:07:10 -0500


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* News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International *
News Service: 019/00
AI INDEX: 46/02/00
2 February 2000

MEDIA ADVISORY

ZIMBABWE

Constitutional reform -- an opportunity to strengthen human rights
protection

"The drafting of a new constitution for Zimbabwe is a unique opportunity
to establish human rights at the heart of its political life."

On 29 November 1999, Zimbabwe's Constitutional Commission delivered its
draft constitution to President Mugabe for consideration. In a new
report launched today in Harare, Amnesty International analyses the
human rights provisions in the draft constitution and makes
recommendations for the inclusion of additional human rights safeguards
during the final stage of its revision and before it is put to popular
referendum..

Amnesty International concludes that the draft constitution represents
major human rights improvements compared to the present constitution --
particularly with regards to women's rights. However, it believes that
there are still a number of discrepancies between Zimbabwe's human
rights obligations under international law and the current draft of the
constitution.

Amnesty International urges the President of Zimbabwe to ensure that the
final draft of the constitution complies with the country's human rights
obligations under international law before it is presented to the people
of Zimbabwe for ratification in a referendum.

Among the human rights organization's recommendations to the President
are that the draft of the constitution should ensure:

-that Zimbabwe's international treaty obligations prevail in conflicts
with national law;

-that the death penalty is abolished;

-that evidence elicited through torture is not admissible in court;

-that corporal punishment for children is prohibited;

-that an individual is not discriminated against because of his/her
sexual orientation;

-that the right to appeal judicial decisions is guaranteed
unconditionally;

-that children under the age of 18 are protected from recruitment into
the armed forces.

ENDS.../
Amnesty International, International Secretariat, 1 Easton Street,
WC1X 8DJ, London, United Kingdom
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