Introduction
1. As a signatory to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (hereafter the African Charter)1, Mozambique has a duty to submit periodic reports to the Banjul Commission on the legislative or other measures taken to give effect to the rights and freedoms set out and guaranteed by the African Charter. Within this framework, this is the Report of the Government of the Republic of Mozambique on the implementation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights for the period 2015 to 2021 in the light of Article 62 of the African Charter. The elaboration of periodic reports on the implementation of the African Charter is an unequivocal demonstration of Mozambique's commitment to international obligations with regard to the elimination of barriers, stigma and discrimination that impede the full enjoyment of the right to equality and protection under the law. This process also demonstrates the commitment of the government of Mozambique to respond to the challenges associated with domestication and implementation of the African Union Treaties. In addition to providing information on legislative and other measures taken by Mozambique in the implementation of the African Charter, this Report seeks to respond to observations and recommendations made in the second Periodic Report of the Republic of Mozambique on the Implementation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights for the period 1999-2010.
2. Among the recommendations of the report in allusion, there was the need for Mozambique to ratify some important regional and international instruments on human rights; the need to accelerate the review of specific legislation; the need to involve civil society in the elaboration of the report; the disaggregation of data on the various areas of human rights in gender; the presentation of evidence of the implementation of legislation that defends human rights; the detailed information on the situation of penitentiary establishments; the humanization of prisons; the clarification of the status of community courts; compliance with the guarantee of trial before arrest; the integration of human rights modules in legal and judicial training centres; the decriminalization of defamation; the creation of a database disaggregated by gender on relevant aspects including information on vulnerable and marginalized people, among other recommendations duly responded to in this Report.
