The Human Rights Commission of Zambia (HRC-Z) and the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) on 9th July 2026 held a consultative engagement to discuss the Initiative for Peaceful and Credible 2026 General Elections in Zambia and explore joint efforts to promote peaceful, inclusive and credible participation in the electoral process.
Speaking during the meeting, HRC-Z Vice Chairperson Dr Felicity Kayumba Kalunga emphasised the importance of collective responsibility in safeguarding peace, democracy and human rights throughout the electoral cycle.
Dr. Kalunga noted that elections are closely linked to fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of movement, access to information and the right to participate in public affairs.
“The Human Rights Commission remains committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure that the 2026 General Elections are conducted in a manner that upholds human rights, strengthens public confidence and democratic institutions,” she said.
Dr. Kalunga outlined the HRC-Z’s electoral interventions, including civic education, stakeholder engagement, election monitoring, complaints handling and the implementation of an early warning and early response framework to identify potential risks before they escalate into electoral violence.
The engagement also provided a platform for CCZ to present the Initiative for Peaceful and Credible 2026 General Elections in Zambia, which seeks to promote peaceful, inclusive and violence-free participation in the 2026 General Elections through faith-led dialogue, mediation, conflict prevention, civic engagement and collaboration with key electoral stakeholders.
Presenting the initiative, Mr. George Chibwana, CCZ Head of Programmes, highlighted the importance of sustained peace-building beyond the election period, emphasising the need for continued dialogue and collaboration among political leaders, state institutions and other stakeholders to strengthen peace and national cohesion.
“Zambia has been a beacon of peace, but we must never take these things for granted. After the Coalition in 2021, we all went back to our comfortable seats, but peace-building should not just happen during elections. It is something that we should be able to do continuously,” he said.
He highlighted concerns around political violence, harassment, hate speech, shrinking civic space, misuse of public resources, declining public trust and the need for sustained national conflict prevention mechanisms.
Mr. Chibwana further explained that the initiative seeks to bring stakeholders together to facilitate dialogue, mediation and consensus-building, including the development of a national peace pledge aimed at promoting commitment to peaceful participation ahead of the 2026 General Elections.
