By Abigail Chaponda in London, United Kingdom
Zambia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Honourable Joseph Malanji and Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Honourable Dora Siliya are expected in the United Kingdom to attend meetings at the invitation of the UK government.
And Hon. Malanji has today (Monday, 8th July 2019) arrived in the United Kingdom to attend the 19th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting that will take place at the Commonwealth Secretariat at Marlborough House, London, on 10th July 2019.
While Hon. Siliya who will be accompanied by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Director General Josephine Mapoma will arrive tomorrow (Tuesday 9th July 2019) to attend the Global Conference for Media Freedom which The UK and Canadian governments are co-hosting from the 10th to the 11th of July, 2019 at Print works.
The global conference aims to: “shine a global spotlight on media freedoms, it is a campaign to protect journalists doing their job, and to promote the benefits of a free media worldwide.
This event brings together over 1,000 guests, including government ministers and officials, the diplomatic community, international agencies, journalists, civil society, and academics. It will examine the challenges facing media freedom and the opportunities created for a safer environment for journalists. The conference will see countries and international organisations coming together to take meaningful action to defend media freedom.
The conference will be structured around four themes, protection and prosecution, including impunity national frameworks and legislation, building trust in media and countering disinformation, media sustainability.
Global leaders, representatives from the media industry, journalists, civil society and academia will gather to attend interactive panel discussions.
The first day of the conference will focus on defining the challenges and the second day on framing solutions. Commonwealth Foreign Ministers will also meet to discuss Media freedoms.
The Zambian Government is committed and determined to continue supporting a beneficial environment that supports an independent and flourishing media.
On 9 and 10th May 2019 after an insaka (meeting), the media in Zambia unanimously agreed that they adopt a statutory self-regulation model as it suits the prevailing media environment in Zambia.
