Govt faulted on non-submission of human rights reports

The government of Tanzania has not submitted reports on economic, social and cultural rights to the United Nations for the past twenty eight years. Speaking at a ministerial roundtable discussion held in Dar es Salaam over the weekend, coordinator of a non-governmental organisation, Southern Africa Human Rights NGOs Network (SAHRINGON), Tanzania Chapter, Rehema Sameji, said though Tanzania had been observing human rights it had been slow in submitting reports to the United Nations. Tanzania was a signatory to the International Human Rights Convention,Sameji said, but owing to the government?s delay, her organisation had prepared a shadow report to challenge and move the government into action with a view to fulfilling its obligation. Commenting on the shadow report, SAHRINGON board member Gideon Mandesi said the report did not endeavour to humiliate the government in the eyes of the international community, but rather to help it get assistance from the donor community. SAHRINGON is fulfilling its obligation. Our goal is to push the government to submit its report and not to humiliate it,? said Mandesi. The shadow report was jointly prepared by SAHRINGON Tanzania Chapter, the Legal and Human Rights Centre, and Women in Law and Development in Africa. Others were the National Organization for Legal Assistance, Tanzania Media Women?s Association, and Training for Sustainable Development.