Human Rights Commission Celebrates 60 Years of UDHR

The Human Rights Commission carried out a month-long campaign in October 2008 to raise awareness on human rights issues relating to the October 30 presidential by election in Zambia and commemorate 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

As part of the campaign, the Commission designed and elected billboard in provincial centres, bearing messages on the provisions of the UDHR, the theme of 60th Anniversary, and the country’s presidential and parliamentary by-elections.

The UDHR was designed into booklets and posters which were in English and the seven major local languages it has been translated into, and widely distributed in the six provinces where the human Rights Commission has a presence – Copperbelt, Eastern, Lusaka, Northern, Southern, and Western.

With the assistance of the UNDP, training on the Human Right-Based Approach was conducted in July 2008 for the Commission staff and relevant civil society organisations. To strengthen the Commission’s mandate o inform and advise on issues of human rights, the UNDP recruited Human Rights Officers under the United Nations Volunteer programme who will be attached, for a period of one year, to the Commission to assist in the implementation of human rights programmes at the head office and the provincial offices.

In celebrating the 60th Anniversary, the Human Rights Commission conducted various workshops for specific groups. In October, 25 journalists from print and electronic media in Lusaka were sensitised on the provisions in the UDHR and elections. The business community and civil society on the Copperbelt were oriented on the issues of human rights and business management. Specific training on human rights issues and elections was conducted for persons with disabilities (PWDs), in particular, the deaf. Commission staff and representatives of civil society organisations in Southern Province were also trained in human rights election monitoring.

In six provinces where the Commission has established office, the Commission held various human rights education and sensitisation activities in collaboration with civil society organisations.