On 9-10 April, ISHR coorganised a consultation meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, in partnership with the Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD), to revitalise the process towards the adoption of a national law to promote and protect defenders.
Human rights defenders from across Zambia took part in the consultation, reflecting on the challenges and restrictive measures they currently face, the impacts of the existing legal framework on their work, and the state of the national legislative process towards passing a protection law and how to move it forward.
Attendants drew inspiration from the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders – which was adopted by consensus by all member States and which requires the adoption of domestic measures to implement the rights enshrined therein -, ISHR’s Model Law for the Recognition and Protection of Human Rights Defenders – which has served as basis for similar processes in many other jurisdictions -, and the Financial Action Taskforce’s recommendations to combat money laundering, and how their misapplication can have unintended and restrictive consequences for civil society.
Participants engaged in conversations on what they would like to see included in a human rights defenders protection law, based on Zambia’s national context, and how to advocate for it, notably based on best practices from other African countries that have adopted similar laws. Specific thematic issues raised included the question of environmental human rights defenders and human rights defenders in rural areas, among others.
SACCORD and ISHR welcomed the participation of representatives of the government and of Zambia’s Human Rights Commission, highlighting the growing importance of the need for legislative protection for human rights defenders. We hope this signals a renewed commitment to accelerating the legislative process so that a law may be adopted soon.
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