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At the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, during the adoption of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report of Zambia, ISHR, the Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolutions of Disputes and the Zambia Human Rights Defenders Network delivered a joint statement calling on Zambia to revise its legal instruments and adopt an adequate legal framework to ensure defenders can work in a safe environment without fear of reprisals.

On 12 May, the Republic of Zambia presented its State report to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (‘the African Commission’). Commissioners raised various questions related to the rights of human rights defenders, including the right to freedom of expression, access to information and freedom of assembly and association.

On 3 May, ISHR delivered a statement on the situation of human rights in Africa, with a particular focus on the necessity to implement adopted defenders’ protection laws, the violations faced by women defenders in Sudan as well as the rejected applications for observer status of NGOs working on LGBTIQ rights in Africa.

Mphatso Sakala, founder and director of the Intersex Society of Zambia, champions the rights and well-being of intersex individuals by promoting inclusive health policies and enhancing visibility amongst policymakers and healthcare providers.

Over two intense weeks, 18 dedicated human rights defenders participating in ISHR’s 2019 Human Rights Defenders Advocacy Programme (HRDAP) exchanged experiences, strengthened their skills, put them into practice, and built a network of allies in Geneva and across the globe.

ISHR's flagship Human Rights Defenders Advocacy Programme begins on Monday 17 June, with 18 inspiring human rights defenders from around the globe travelling to Geneva to learn how to use the UN mechanisms for even greater impact on the ground.