The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has called for greater investment in human rights, civic freedoms and access to justice, saying lasting peace cannot be achieved where rights are undermined and grievances have no effective remedy.
The call comes as the world marks the International Day of Peace under the 2026 United Nations theme, “Investing in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”
In a statement marking the day, ZLHR said peace went beyond the absence of violence and required conditions that allowed people to live with dignity and security while exercising their fundamental freedoms without fear.
“As the world marks the International Day of Peace under the 2026 United Nations theme, “Investing in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) calls on duty-bearers to uphold human rights, equality and the rule of law, and ensure access to justice as essential foundations for lasting peace and economic development,” ZLHR said.
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The organisation said peace also required access to effective remedies when people’s rights were violated.
“Peace is more than the absence of violence. It requires conditions in which every person can live with dignity and security, exercise fundamental freedoms without fear, and obtain effective redress when their rights are violated,” ZLHR said.
ZLHR said investing in peace in Zimbabwe required the protection of civic and democratic space, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.
“For Zimbabwe, investing in peace requires protecting civic and democratic space so that people can exercise the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and citizens can participate in public affairs and hold public institutions accountable,” ZLHR said.
The organisation said lasting peace would be difficult to achieve where people faced reprisals for exercising constitutionally protected freedoms.
“Peace cannot endure where rights are undermined, grievances have no effective remedy, or people face reprisals for exercising constitutionally protected freedoms,” ZLHR said.
ZLHR said independent and accountable institutions, equal protection under the law and meaningful dialogue were important for building public trust and resolving disputes peacefully.
“Independent and accountable institutions, equal protection of the law and meaningful dialogue are essential to public trust and peaceful dispute resolution. Investment attraction and economic development can only happen when there is respect for human rights that leads to lasting peace,” ZLHR said.
The organisation called on duty-bearers to uphold Zimbabwe’s constitutional and international human rights obligations and ensure that laws were applied fairly and transparently.
“ZLHR therefore calls on duty-bearers to uphold Zimbabwe’s constitutional and international human rights obligations to apply the law fairly, transparently and without discrimination,” ZLHR said.
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