Rights Commission tasks stakeholders to fulfill commitments made at 1st Democracy Summit

The Human Rights Commission 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.

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.

Spokesperson/ Head-Information, Education and Training Department  at Human Rights Commission, Mweelwa Muleya, noted that Zambia made three commitments, which are to strengthen the independence of the media and the independence of the Electoral Commission of Zambia and enhancing the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of Assembly.

“In this respect, the Commission is expecting stakeholders to be holding the government accountable on reforms relating to enhancing the independence of the media such as 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 and the independence of the Electoral Commission of Zambia,” Muleya said.

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He added that 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.

Muleya noted that the purpose of the Summit for Democracy, which Zambia is privileged to co-host, is a noble one as it is aimed at enhancing the protection of democratic values and human rights globally for the benefit of the respective countries.

He is however of the view that focusing on the commitments Zambia made will greatly benefit the country rather than focussing on issues that are not part of the Summit for Democracy agenda and review.

Contributed by Prudence Siabana

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