121. In order to increase the number of registered children, in 2005 the government
launched free registration campaigns. A total of 7.025.099 children and 657.209
adults were registered between 2005 and 31 December 2010. This represents a
total of 7.682.308 registered citizens. The registration of adults has been
necessitated by the fact that unregistered parents had sought to register their
children. Thus, parents were first registered followed by their children.
122. During the registration campaigns, which took place mainly in rural communities,
families were impressed on the need to give a name to their children prior to birth
to allow their registration even when the parents are absent. Families were also
advised on registration procedures to be followed in other circumstances, for
instance by single mothers.
123. Progress has been made in this area, but challenges remain:
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Strengthening crime prevention and suppression;
Strengthening of measures and mechanisms to prevent, monitor and curb the
excessive use of force, torture and other action taken by law enforcement
agents, which constitute an attempt on the physical integrity of citizens;
Establishing strategies to reduce lynching;
Promoting the continual training of law enforcement agents in human rights
issues;
Ratification of the Optional Protocol on the Convention Against Torture;
Strengthening of mechanisms aimed at implementing the Law on the
Prevention and Suppression Against Human Trafficking, Especially Women
and Children;
Establishing effective judicial and administrative mechanisms aimed at
implementing laws and policies banning slavery, bondage and forced labor;
Undertaking a study on the possibility of extending the period of grace for the
civil registration of every individual at birth; and
Undertaking a study on how to facilitate access to identity documents.
Article 6: The Right to Freedom and Personal Security
124. In terms of the Charter, every individual shall have the right to liberty and to the
security of his person, and no one may be arbitrarily deprived of such right. That
is, an individual may not be arbitrarily imprisoned or detained.
125. In the Republic of Mozambique, this principle is enshrined in Article 59 (1) of
the CRM, in terms of which: “1. In the Republic of Mozambique everyone shall
have the right to security, and no one shall be arrested and taken to Court except in
terms of the Law. 2. Defendants shall enjoy the prerogative of presumption of
innocence, pending a final court decision. 3. No citizen shall be tried more than
once for the same crime, nor shall he be condemned to a sentence not provided in
the law or a sentence which is heavier than the one provided in law at the time the
offense was committed”.
Combined Report from the Republic of Mozambique to the ACHPR, 1999-2010
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