Picture Source:UN Website
By Innocent Siachitoba
On 7th July 2023, Zambia through Mrs. Mwenya Kaela Bwalya, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice updated the United Nations Human Rights Council on the recommendations of the 42nd Session of the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review process made on 30th January 2023. The update by Mrs. Bwalya is further to Zambia’s tentative position given on 250 recommendations received during the said session.
The 250 recommendations received under the UPR process are aimed at promoting human rights among children, and women, protection of migrants and refugees, environment, abolition of the death penalty, access to information, albinism, persons with disabilities, freedom of expression, assembly and association, strengthening national human rights institution.
Out of the 250 recommendations, the country supported 184 recommendations and deferred 44 recommendations which were subjected to stakeholders consultations in April, 2023 in order to establish whether their adoption was desirable. In addition, 123 recommendations were noted as they did not conform with the Zambian legal and socio-cultural norms and aspirations.
Making the presentation, Mrs. Bwalya informed the Human Rights Council that the acceptance rate of the recommendations by Zambia was 94.4% compared with the acceptance rate of 73% in 2013, adding that progress has been made regarding the proposed recommendations.
She highlighted some of the areas that have been supported including rights that concern health, education, abolition of the death penalty, eliminating gender-based violence, social and economic rights, narrowing income disparities, environmental management, protection of the rights of persons with albinism, and more effective protection of migrants and refugees as well as strengthening the human rights institutions in the country.
She assured the Human Rights Council that Zambia is committed to amending the Constitution and further Government had pledged to do so in a three-phased approach, starting with attending to non-contentious issues, then holding a referendum on the Bill of Rights and concluding with a holistic review of the Constitution. Further, she said that the Government under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema has committed itself to working with all the stakeholders in ensuring that human rights for all citizens are protected.
Ms. Bwalya was in Geneva, Switzerland accompanied by Mrs. Hope N. Chanda, Director of Zambia Law Development Commission; Mr. Vanny Hampondela, Assistant Director Governance, Ministry of Justice; Ambassador, and Permanent Representative to the UN, Ms.Eunice M. Tembo Luambia, Mr. T om Ngululu, the GBV Expert, Zambia Police VSU and Ms. Mulima Lisimba, Second Secretary Legal Zambia’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
You can watch a full presentation at:
https://media.un.org/en/asset/k12/k12lzwhq18