A statement about why RightsCon 2026 will not take place in Zambia
Key takeaways
- We are devastated to be writing to you instead of gathering together as planned and we know we’re not alone.
- Following our April 29 announcement, we at Access Now, the host organization of Rights Con, believe it is important to be transparent about the context that led to the decision.
- We believe foreign interference is the reason RightsCon 2026 won’t proceed in Zambia or online.
We are devastated to be writing to you instead of gathering together as planned and we know we’re not alone. The frustration and disappointment stemming from the loss of Rights Con 2026 is felt deeply by all of us, especially our partners in the region who worked tirelessly alongside our team.
Following our April 29 announcement, we at Access Now, the host organization of Rights Con, believe it is important to be transparent about the context that led to the decision. We want to explain, where we can (taking into account the safety of those involved), why this announcement was made on such short notice, only days before we were set to welcome more than 2,600 participants in person, and 1,100 online, representing over 150 countries and 750 institutions.
We believe foreign interference is the reason RightsCon 2026 won’t proceed in Zambia or online.