HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION SPEAKS OUT ON DEMOCRACY SUMMIT
THE Human Rights Commission – HRC has called on various stakeholders to focus on the commitments Zambia made during the first Summit for Democracy in 2021 towards strengthening democracy and enhanced respect for human rights.
HRC Spokesperson Mweelwa Muleya says this is because the purpose of the second Summit for Democracy is to review the progress on implementing the commitments that the respective countries made during the first summit.
Zambia has made commitments to strengthen the independence of the media and the Electoral Commission of Zambia, as well as to enhance the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of Assembly.
Muleya say the commission is expecting stakeholders to hold Government accountable on reforms relating to enhancing the independence of the media.
He cites the Access to Information Bill, the repeal and replacement of the Public Order Act in order to enhance the right to freedom of assembly and other reforms related to electoral democracy.
The three commitments are in line with the three themes of the summit for democracy which are defending against authoritarianism, addressing and fighting corruption and advancing respect for human rights.