Days before thousands of researchers, academics, and human rights experts were set to convene in Lusaka, Zambia, the government of Zambia announced it was postponing RightsCon, one the largest and most important digital human rights conferences in the world. The announcement, which came as some participants and speakers were already en route to the conference, has sown confusion and chaos in the academic community.
Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati first announced the postponement on April 28, saying that Zambia needed more time to ensure the conference “fully [aligns] with national procedures, diplomatic protocols, and the broader objective of fostering a balanced and consensus-driven platform for dialogue.”
“In particular, certain invited speakers and participants remain subject to pending administrative and security clearances, which have not yet been concluded,” he added, according to the Lusaka Times.
It is unclear what is going to happen because Access Now, the organization that throws RightsCon, has not yet officially canceled the event. An “important update” from the RightsCon team on its website states. “We are aware of a media announcement indicating RightsCon has been postponed by the Government of Zambia and understand the panic it must be causing for our participants, especially those traveling to Lusaka. We have not yet received formal communication from the government and have requested an urgent meeting with the involved Ministries. We are on the ground coordinating with our partners and hope to have more information today (Wednesday, April 29).” There has not been an update from Access Now or RightsCon.
But on Wednesday afternoon the Zambian government reinforced Mutati’s statement but did not clarify it. “The postponement was necessitated by the need for comprehensive disclosure of critical information related to key thematic issues proposed for discussion during the Summit,” Kawana said. “Such disclosure is essential to ensure full alignment with Zambia’s national values, policy priorities, and broader public interest considerations,” Thabo Kawana, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Information and Media reinforced Mutati’s statement but did not clarify it.
RightsCon was set to take place in Lusaka May 5-8. The postponement comes amid a broader backlash to academic digital human rights research in the United States and around the world; researchers who study social media content moderation and related topics have, for example, had their visas revoked by the Trump administration.
It has been a difficult few years for RightsCon—last year, the conference took place in Taipei, Taiwan, but some participants had to pull out or participate virtually at the last minute because of the wholesale destruction of USAID and many U.S. government research grants under the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. In 2023, roughly 300 RightsCon participants, largely from the global south, were unable to attend the conference in Costa Rica due to visa-on-arrival issues.
Several RightsCon participants reached by 404 Media said they were unsure what they were going to do, and weren’t sure if they were going to get on their flights to Lusaka.
RightsCon did not respond to 404 Media’s request for a comment.