As a spin-off of the cross-sectoral Professional Training Programmes, RWI’s Zimbabwe Programme also organises programmes for individual institutions on request. The initiative originated from requests made to RWI by specific institutions that had participated in the cross-sectoral trainings and identified the need to develop their human rights capacity further.
To date, such cooperation has been initiated with Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service, and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission
RWI has been cooperating with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) since 2018.
The cooperation is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding signed between ZHRC and RWI on 5 July 2019. The cooperation is based on a request from ZHRC for tailor-made capacity development aimed at increasing knowledge of international, regional and national standards and mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights among Commissioners and secretariat staff. The cooperation also aims at supporting increased visibility of ZHRC’s role and mandate.
Activities developed since 2018 include human rights training workshops, literature support to ZHRC’s resource center, support to development of training material and manuals, as well as organization of multi-stakeholder roundtables. A key element of the cooperation is peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, meaning that experienced members and former members form other African National Human Rights Institutions have been engaged in most activities.
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services
RWI has been cooperating with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) since 2019. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between ZPCS and RWI on 4 July 2019. The cooperation was established following a request from ZPCS and is based on an ongoing and successful programme that RWI has been implementing in cooperation with the Kenya Prison Service since 2012. The objective of the cooperation is to strengthen ZPCS’ institutional capacity to implement international prisons standards. Special attention is given to the updated UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (The Mandela Rules) and the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (The Bangkok Rules)
Activities implemented under the cooperation include human rights leadership trainings, strengthening of ZPCS’s in-house training capacity, as well as support to a curricula review, development of training modules and development of a self-assessment system regarding the implementation of the Mandela Rules. A peer-to-peer approach, involving international and regional practitioners as trainers, is a key element of the cooperation.
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission
RWI has been cooperating with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) since 2020. A Memorandum of Understanding signed between ZACC and RWI on 1st December 2020 governs the cooperation. The cooperation aims at addressing the nexus between corruption and human rights among Commissioners and staff, primarily to explore how anti-corruption and human rights programming could mutually reinforcing each other for reduced corruption and increased enjoyment of human rights
Activities under the cooperation have so far included training workshops, multi-sectoral roundtables, and support to small-scale outreach activities implemented by ZACC.