Story perspectives

Zambia Cancels RightsCon 2026, Citing Unverified Chinese Pressure

5/2/2026

Summary

Zambia Cancels RightsCon

Zambia announced on April 29 2026 that RightsCon 2026 in Lusaka was postponed, cancelling the summit for 5,000 attendees.
Access Now warned travelers not to attend and said the conference would not proceed.
The Net Rights Coalition and 130 groups condemned the cancellation as a blow to civic space.
Unverified reports linked Chinese pressure over Taiwanese delegates to the decision, citing a US$60 million 2020 refurbishment that Human Rights Watch could not verify.

Summary

Sikazwe Warns Summit

Daniel Sikazwe warned the summit before the Aug 13 2026 election could expose human-rights abuses.
The Law Association of Zambia petitioned the court to strike down parts of the 2025 Cyber Crimes Act for violating free expression.
Charles Mafa linked the summit’s cancellation to China’s mining influence, citing the Feb 18 2025 dam breach that released ~50 million litres of toxic waste into the Kafue River and raising sovereignty concerns about the Chinese-aided Mulungushi venue.

Summary

Zambia Cancels

Zambia cancelled RightsCon while its Ministry of Information and Media’s Facebook page still displayed a “RightsCon” banner.
Hotels and tour operators warned the cancellation could cost hospitality sector millions, with thousands of visitors expected.
UNESCO’s Press Freedom Day events on May 4-5 in Lusaka, slated with RightsCon, risk disruption from the cancellation.
Digital-rights groups condemned the move, while travel planners cited the US-Israeli conflict in Iran and aid cuts as hurdles.

History

Historical Context

The UN-backed World Summit on the Information Society began with a 2001 resolution and its first phase in Geneva in December 2003, drawing over 11,000 delegates from 175 countries. The 2005 Tunis Agenda created the Internet Governance Forum and pledged multistakeholder participation, a norm later challenged when Chinese officials limited civil-society speakers at the 2013 WSIS Forum.

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Zambia Cancels RightsCon

Zambia announced on April 29 2026 that RightsCon 2026 in Lusaka was postponed, cancelling the summit for 5,000 attendees.
Access Now warned travelers not to attend and said the conference would not proceed.
The Net Rights Coalition and 130 groups condemned the cancellation as a blow to civic space.
Unverified reports linked Chinese pressure over Taiwanese delegates to the decision, citing a US$60 million 2020 refurbishment that Human Rights Watch could not verify.

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