Zimbabwe : UN Envoy Recommends Lifting Of Sanctions

A United Nations envoy Elena Douhan has recommended the lifting of targeted sanctions imposed on Zanu PF officials, saying the measures are harming the country’s economy. In a statement, the UN Human Rights quoted the envoy as saying, “Over the past 20 years, sanctions and various forms of over-compliance with sanctions has had an insidious ripple effect on the economy of Zimbabwe and on the enjoyment of fundamental human rights, including access to health, food, safe drinking water and sanitation, education and employment”.
The envoy who made the recommendations after visiting the country at the invitation of the Government met with State authorities, members of civil society, trade unions, religious organizations, political parties, private companies and business associations, diplomatic corps and other interested parties. She noted that the situation also limits Zimbabwe’s ability to guarantee the functioning of public institutions, delivery of services, and maintenance of essential infrastructure, and undermines the right to development of the Zimbabwean people and impedes the achievement of the sustainable development goals. Douhan will present her report to the Human Rights Council in September, 2022. 
Reacting to the special envoy’s statement, Information Secretary, Nick Mangwana, said, the UN Special Rapporteur has made an emphatic call for the removal of Illegal and coercive sanctions against Zimbabwe. European countries and the US imposed targeted sanctions on some Zanu PF officials, citing serious cases of human rights violations and election rigging. She said dialogue wa...