UN housing rights expert urges Zimbabwe to halt mass evictions

With a wave of forced mass evictions reportedly taking place in Zimbabwe, the United Nations expert on housing rights today urged Government authorities to halt the campaign, saying that it could constitute a gross violation of human rights.

Miloon Kothari, who is the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the right to adequate housing, reminded the Zimbabwean authorities of their obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights, which the country ratified in 1991, and which bars such evictions unless strict conditions are met.

Zimbabwe, he noted, was also a member of the Commission on Human Rights, resolutions of which have stated that that the practice of forced eviction constituted a gross violation of human rights.

Mr. Kothari urged the Government to reply to his appeal on an urgent basis, providing detailed information on the events and on the measures taken to ensure compliance with Zimbabwe's international law obligations under the human rights instruments it has ratified.