Overview
Zambia has been involved in the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) since 2003, with main priorities aimed at development and closing the digital divides. As explored below, Zambia engages in global processes, as demonstrated by its attendance at key WSIS and other internet governance platforms. However, Zambia does not effectively distil the commitments made at multilateral levels to its communities, as this information is not readily available on its platforms. The Southern African country implements some action lines towards building digital divides and expanding digital connectivity and infrastructure through collaborations with the development sector and private sector actors. For example, at the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) held in Lusaka, Zambia, from 29 April to 1 May 2025, the Minister of Technology and Science, Hon. Minister Felix Mutati, highlighted the importance of connectivity and openness to advancing digital public infrastructure, also leveraging Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies.
Zambia’s Engagement in WSIS
Zambia has led on global digital processes, taking on a co-facilitator role in the Global Digital Compact (GDC). As a leader in global digital rights governance, it is required to demonstrate agility in realising the WSIS Action Lines. On 27 May 2025, Paradigm Initiative hosted a workshop in Zambia to assess progress on WSIS action lines in the country, during which several critical gaps were identified. The key issue raised was that the government was not adequately engaging civil society, the technical community and media stakeholder groups on its WSIS priorities and other global processes. The information gap between the government and stakeholders was glaring, as most stakeholders were learning about WSIS for the first time, showing that information on WSIS may be accessible to only a few. The government is clearly interested in engaging stakeholders, as demonstrated by The Ministry of Technology and Science’s participation in both the DRIF and the Lusaka Internet Meetup, and the government has illustrated a commitment to engaging stakeholders in other areas of digital policy, for instance, through the establishment of the National Action Coalition on Information Integrity towards countering misinformation and disinformation during elections, comprising the government, United Nations Development Programme, civil society and the media. However, Zambia needs to make more deliberate efforts to engage relevant stakeholders on the WSIS priorities.
There was also a view that, while Zambia is globally celebrated for playing a pivotal role in the WSIS process and the Global Digital Compact (GDC), this has not been well communicated within the country.
Furthermore, participants highlighted the urban-rural divide, low rates of digital literacy and limited access to digital services in rural areas as challenges. The issues raised identified pertinent areas for improvement, including the realisation of WSIS action lines and the embedding of multistakeholder approaches at the national level.
Since Paradigm Initiative last assessed Zambia’s priorities in May 2025, published in The Road to WSIS+20: Key Country Perspectives in the Twenty-Year Review of the World Summit on the Information Society in August 2025, Zambia has engaged in WSIS meetings, including making statements that demonstrate a focus on specific areas. Various pronouncements by State delegates across the review demonstrate Zambia’s priorities in the WSIS process.
Zambia’s Digital Governance Context
Zambia, a member of the G77, did not articulate a detailed position on all WSIS priorities. It emphasised internet freedom, meaningful participation and the need to mitigate the harms associated with artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies more broadly. This suggests alignment with a rights-respecting, multistakeholder vision of internet governance.
Zambia’s engagement in the WSIS+20 process reflected a broader national approach to digital governance that situates digital transformation within its commitments to sustainable development, inclusion and human rights. Public interventions by Zambia’s Foreign Minister, Hon. Mulambo Hamakun emphasised the role of digital technologies in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, alongside wider priorities related to peace, good governance and social inclusion.
Within discussions on the Global Digital Compact and information integrity, Zambia highlighted how digital divides create conditions in which information disorders can flourish, underscoring the importance of digital public goods and capacity-building for Global South countries as part of a more equitable digital ecosystem.
Zambia’s approach to internet governance similarly stresses openness, connectivity and multistakeholder engagement as foundations for effective digital public infrastructure. As well as reinforcing commitment to internet freedom and meaningful participation, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Technology and Science in Zambia, Eng. Dr Brilliant Habeenzu, signalled the country’s interest in tackling the adverse impacts of Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies. He articulated the inadequate online safeguards for children and called for institutions to adapt, highlighting that digital transformation must be anchored in inclusion, human rights and resilience.
As a member of the G77 + China, Zambia negotiated as part of this block of countries. It is unclear at this point to what extent Zambia’s positions aligned with or diverged from those put forward by the bloc, but this may become clearer in implementation.
Engagement Opportunities
Through the Shaping the WSIS+20 Review for a Unified Internet Through Multistakeholderism Project, supported by ICANN and led by the Global Network Initiative and Global Partners Digital, PIN realised its priority of advancing digital rights through global processes. During the review, PIN engaged Zambian government officials, calling for multistakeholder engagements to bridge the information gap and to include diverse voices in shaping strategies towards the implementation of WSIS action lines.
PIN took part in several calls for submissions, meetings, consultations and coalition activities in 2025, with the aim of advancing the realisation of WSIS Action Lines and preservation of the Internet Governance Forum. PIN joined the Global Digital Rights Coalition for WSIS in 2025, advocating for joint positions including the permanency of the Internet Governance Forum, strong human rights text, closing the digital divide, and key steps towards building confidence and security in the use of information and communications technologies.
On a regional level, PIN and GNI hosted a WSIS+20 Closed Session at the Digital Rights Inclusion Forum on 29 April 2025 with the Minister of Technology and Science, who highlighted the importance of engaging policymakers on Africa’s priorities and took part in a WSIS workshop in Lusaka, Zambia.
At the global level, PIN represented the interests of diverse stakeholders from Zambia and across the African continent and the broader Global South through various engagements. This included the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) 28TH Session, the WSIS High Level engagement from 7-11 July 2025 in Geneva, intervening on the need to close digital divides and supporting community-centred connectivity and other locally-led initiatives to address digital divides. PIN joined a session hosted by the Informal Multistakeholder Sounding Board (IMSB) and made specific interventions on Revision 2 of the WSIS outcome document, making specific calls to strengthen the human rights text, ensuring that privacy rights are safeguarded.
Future of WSIS+20
Assessing Zambia’s engagements in 2025, there is an indication of meaningful steps towards bridging digital divides and increasing connectivity, with ongoing tracking of diverse stakeholders to monitor the implementation of WSIS Action Lines. To this end, Zambia must ensure it engages with stakeholders at the country level on the WSIS+20 Outcome Document and develop tangible metrics towards implementation of the guidance made by the consensus document. Zambia should ensure its financing mechanisms align with its core priorities and that its laws align to create a favourable environment for the realisation of the aspirations embedded in the WSIS+20 outcome document.