Overview
Words from the community
Partner statements
Media coverage
How to help
FAQ

Overview

RightsCon, the world’s leading summit on human rights in the digital age, was set to take place in Lusaka, Zambia. What would have been our 14th edition and our first in Southern Africa, RightsCon 2026 was about both honouring our commitment to return to the African continent after hosting in Tunisia in 2019 and recognizing the strength, resilience, and global significance of Africa’s digital rights community. 

We are devastated we could not gather as planned and know the loss of RightsCon is felt deeply by all of us. In the days since our statement, we have received an overwhelming outpouring of support and solidarity from across the community, including participants, sponsors, session organizers, media, and fellow event organizers. Thank you for standing by us and with us.

This page outlines the 100+ statements of solidarity, shares reflections from our community, and provides initial guidance for the participants who had planned to join us. We see it as a testament to the power and resilience of the digital rights movement. RightsCon may not happen in Zambia, but we will come together again; how and where we do so will be informed by you, our community.

READ THE FULL STATEMENT

Words from the community

“RightsCon, for me, is more than just a conference or an event every year where we exchange ideas, share work experiences, and attend sessions. It is more like a window and a bridge to my community in my region. An opportunity to break down borders I cannot cross anymore, a chance not to be forgotten in my community, and to stay updated on the new challenges in my region.”

Sara Alsherif, Migrant Digital Justice Programme Manager, Open Rights Group

Words from the community

“RightsCon is more than an event; it is a strong and connected global community that continues beyond any single moment.”

Zaituni Njovu, Executive Director, Zaina Foundation

Words from the community

“I genuinely respect RightsCon. It’s a grassroots gathering where activists working at the intersection of human rights and technology shape the agenda themselves. Our Public Interest Journalism Lab has been selected to host a discussion with colleagues from Nigeria, South Africa, and Georgia… Cancelling it in a distant country, with 2,600 people set to attend, rather than bending under pressure – despite how easily they could have quietly sidelined a few Taiwanese participants – is a sign that principles still exist in this world.”

Nataliya Gumenyuk, CEO and Co-Founder, Public Interest Journalism Lab

Words from the community

“There truly is no team more diligent, organized, and supportive than Access Now and the RightsCon team. If for those of us contributing in even a small way this feels like a significant loss, I can only imagine how it must feel for you, given everything you do. I understand this must still be a very complex situation, but I want to reiterate my sincere gratitude for all the work you do in defense of human rights, and for not yielding to the kinds of political pressures that seek to divide and undermine our community.”

Marivi Marín, Executive Director, ProBox VE

Words from the community

“We would like to express our gratitude, respect, and admiration for the resilience you have shown to the digital rights community and to the entire world. Despite the harshness of the circumstances, you can be proud of the incredible work you have made, and the global recognition and support you have received. Frankly, all our respect and admiration!”

Sebastian Becker, Digitalization and Democracy – International IDEA.

Partner statements

“The need for international consensus-building remains critical, and the government of Zambia missed an opportunity to demonstrate a strong commitment to preserving the multistakeholder model, a key feature of global digital governance, across its country’s digital rights engagements … RightsCon in Lusaka would have been an incredible opportunity for local and global exchange, and to create new initiatives to realise human rights in the digital age.”
Read more from the Net Rights Coalition, representing 132+ organizations.

“The postponement of RightsCon shrinks already limited spaces for global coordination on regulating and governing technology at a time of explosive AI expansion and the deepening entwinement of the tech industry with authoritarian practices and power. This erosion of civic and policy space has real consequences, and it is a loss the world cannot afford.” Read more from Amnesty International.

“RightsCon is one of the foremost civic spaces where digital rights defenders, civil society organisations, technologists, policymakers, and researchers come together to share knowledge, build solidarity, and advance the human rights agenda in the digital age. Its de facto cancellation inflicts a serious blow on these networks at a moment when they are already under strain from shrinking civic space, reduced funding, and mounting pressure on independent voices worldwide.”
Read more from the Freedom Online Coalition.

“These kinds of last-minute shutdowns and clampdowns impact smaller organizations, grassroots groups, and the most marginalized communities — the very people who are fundamental in building the rare spaces where trust, safety, and movement power are possible. The disruption is not only administrative or financial. It fractures carefully built relationships, drains limited resources, and forces communities already navigating risk to absorb the cost of political decisions they did not make. That devastation is by design.”
Read more from the De|Center.

“The suppression of RightsCon was a clear attempt to muzzle the digital rights movement. Instead, it has rekindled the passion and determination with which we fight for human rights.”
Read more from Ranking Digital Rights.

““The Zambian government’s decision to “postpone” RightsCon at the eleventh hour constitutes a de facto cancellation. Given the participation of over 5,000 attendees and the logistical complexity of a summit featuring over 500 sessions, a last-minute postponement is a deliberate obstruction of one of the most vital assemblies for the global digital rights community, that was critical to advancing Human Rights in the digital age.”
Read more from the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.

For over a decade, RightsCon has proven its value as a critical convening that brings together policymakers, private sector representatives, academics, digital ecosystem stakeholders, and activists to discuss the challenges of the day at the intersection of technology and human rights. Those gathered have shared and learned from the lived experiences of affected rightsholders, collaborated with a focus on addressing and alleviating digital rights harms, and building solutions for the greater good of our globalized, digitized society.”
Read more from the Investor Alliance for Human Rights.

“Rather than welcoming the world to witness the warmth, vibrancy, and hospitality that Zambia is rightly known for, the Government has chosen to turn away the very visitors our country seeks to attract — civil society actors, technologists, policymakers, journalists, and human rights defenders from across the globe.”
Read more from a coalition of Zambian civil society organizations.

Browse all 100+ statements

View the full list of statements below, which underscore the far-reaching presence and strength of the movement. Are we missing a statement? Reach out to us at [email protected].

Media coverage

Frequently Asked Questions

I purchased a ticket for RightsCon 2026, how can I get a refund?

We understand that many of our participants are grappling with the financial impact of RightsCon not proceeding. If you paid for your ticket and need a refund immediately, please email us at [email protected].

We are currently assessing the possibility of hosting RIghtsCon later in 2026 in another location. Once we have an understanding of community interest from our survey and feasibility, we will provide an update, including on our approach for issuing refunds.

Can you provide me with a letter to formalize the cancellation so I can share it with my airline or hotel for a potential refund?

For any matter related to potential flights or hotel refunds, please contact [email protected]. We will do our best to support you with documentation. 

Will approved visas still be valid for entering Zambia?

We have been informed by our immigration contact that those travelling with an already approved visa tied to RightsCon will still be allowed to enter Zambia, however as the situation is recent and is still under development,  we don’t know if it might change in the upcoming days, so it would be helpful to continue managing expectations.

Is it safe to travel to Zambia even if RightsCon isn’t happening?

Our recommendation not to travel is not because Zambia is unsafe but because RightsCon is no longer taking place. We have seen no indications of safety risks in traveling to Zambia, and as of April 30, we haven’t seen increased safety risks for international travellers. If travel does take place, members of our community should consider their individual circumstances particularly if you consider yourself at higher risk. If we receive further information that might impact traveler safety related to RightsCon, we will share it. 

We have been informed by our contact at the Zambia Department of Immigration that those travelling with an approved visa tied to RightsCon will still be allowed to enter Zambia, however the situation is recent and that might change in the upcoming days. If there are issues at the border or during your stay in Zambia, we no longer have RightsCon support services on the ground nor can we influence visa and/or immigration decisions made by the government. As always, you can reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Is it possible for us to hold an unofficial conference?

If you are already in Lusaka and you are planning to go ahead with an already planned side event or other activity, you are welcome to do so. Unfortunately, given the current state of affairs, RightsCon nor Access Now will not be able to endorse the event or provide any logistical support.

We support participants self-organizing to connect with others in the RightsCon community. If you were planning on hosting a session, meet-up, side event, or any other gathering at RightsCon, and you were involved in this year’s program, we kindly ask you to notify us at [email protected].

Why can’t RightsCon pivot to a fully online summit instead of it not happening at all?

Given the short timeframe and taking into account the scale of this year’s program with over 550 sessions, it is not possible to properly transition all in-person sessions to our Summit Platform, where online sessions are hosted. The immediate focus of our team is to support participants who were planning to travel to Zambia as much as possible.

We are very proud of the strengths of this year’s program and we are devastated that we cannot deliver it as planned. Our intention is to work with the community to look for alternative ways to share this work in a manner that is effective and meaningful.

Can we host online sessions on our own platforms? / Could I host my session online independently of RightsCon?

If you want to host your session on your own platform, you are welcome to do so. We respect the amount of energy and care that you have put into your session and we believe that it is critical that you continue to advance your work through RightsCon or other avenues. However, the RightsCon team will not be able to provide logistical support, such as creating zoom rooms or providing a tech moderator. In addition, we would like to clarify that these spaces will not be ruled by our Code of Conduct and should not be RightsCon branded. If you are planning on hosting your session independently, we kindly ask you to notify us at [email protected].

When and where are you hosting RightsCon again?

We  are currently assessing possible next steps for RightsCon. Hosting the summit is a complex process that requires multiple areas and stakeholders to align in order to deliver the summit with the care, depth, and impact our community expects.

The future of RightsCon is being shaped right now, and we want to do that together with the community. If you would like to contribute, please fill our participant survey by May 13.