Zambia canceled RightsCon 2026 days before the conference was due to begin, saying the global human-rights and technology summit did not align with national values. The New York–based organiser Access Now had worked with Zambian authorities for months to host the 5–8 May gathering in Lusaka.
Thabo Kawana, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Information & Media, framed the move as an opportunity to ensure the event ‘aligns with Zambia’s national values, policy priorities, and broader public interest considerations.’ More than 2,600 activists, technologists, academics and policymakers had been expected to attend. Sessions were to address online hate, internet shutdowns, AI and surveillance, militarisation of technology and disinformation, at a time when democratic, women’s and LGBTQ+ rights are under pressure in the country.
Rights campaigners described the decision as censorship and part of a wider pattern of shrinking civic space. Local reporting pointed to possible external influence, noting the venue had been donated by China and several Taiwanese delegates were due to attend; RightsCon was held in Taipei last year. Critics also tied the cancellation to Zambia’s upcoming general election in August 2026, saying the move sits alongside recent laws and restrictions that make it harder for political parties and civil society to meet publicly.
Linda Kasonde, a prominent Zambian lawyer and founder of the LCK Freedom Foundation, said the decision signalled a growing disregard for human rights and that the late cancellation ‘really dents the image of our country.’
Access Now called the unilateral move evidence of transnational repression that is shrinking operating space for civil society, noting many delegates had already booked and paid for travel. Delegates and speakers described immediate financial and logistical losses and warned of lost opportunities to share research and coordinate action.
Karna Kone, who planned to attend a panel on digital censorship, said the cancellation was a particular blow for organisations working on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Francophone Africa. Chioma Agwuegbo of TechHer in Nigeria said removing the summit silences voices and weakens ecosystems that protect fundamental rights, including the online safety and dignity of women and girls.
Speakers due to address online censorship of SRHR called the shutdown deeply ironic or lamented the loss of a rare, inclusive global forum. Luca Stevenson of the International Planned Parenthood Federation described RightsCon as a critical space for communities pushed to the margins, including sex workers, LGBTQIA+ people and those seeking reproductive healthcare.
Sibongile Ndashe, founder of the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa, warned the cancellation sets a dangerous precedent: if such cancellations become normalized, she said, human-rights groups will struggle increasingly to convene, disproportionately harming those with the least power.