• The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Media, Mr. Kennedy Kalunga
• Senior Government officials from Namibia, Uganda and Zimbabwe
• UN Resident Coordinator for Zambia
• UNESCO Director, Addis Ababa
• UNESCO Director, Harare
• Media professionals both from Zambia and other countries in Africa and beyond   
• Ladies and gentlemen

I wish to welcome you all to the 2^nd Africa Media Convention that opens here today.

In particular, on behalf of Government and the people of Zambia, I wish to extend a warm welcome to our delegates who have travelled from different parts of the continent and beyond.

You are all welcome to Zambia and Lusaka in particular.

Chairperson, distinguished ladies and gentlemen,

Zambia is proud to host a conference of this magnitude as an extension of this year’s commemoration of World Press Freedom Day ,which fell on May 3.

Let take this opportunity to thank you for the honour you bestowed on us to host this important high level event.

Chairperson, the importance of this conference cannot be over-emphasised.

It is not a  secret that the media on the continent  grapple with various challenges that include, safety, threats from citizen journalism and in many times, threats to press freedom.

In Zambia,  Government, under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema has been consistent in its agenda  to promote freedom of the media and freedom of expression.

Government has also made progress in the enactment of Access to Information Bill into law.

As Government, we believe that these and other reforms resonate well with this year’s World Press Freedom Day theme: “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver of all Other Human Rights.”

Chairperson, ladies and gentlemen,

Africa deserves better services from the media. Indeed the people of Africa deserve accurate information. They deserve factual information. This is what will empower them to participate in the affairs of their countries and the continent at large.

On the other hand, the media too deserve freedom. They deserve editorial independence. They deserve safety to carry out their work. These are fundamental in shaping a future of rights as well as freedom of expression as a driver of all other human rights.

Chairperson, ladies and gentlemen,

As I stated earlier, the Government of the Republic of Zambia has freed the media to set their own agenda in their reporting.

Government has also opened up the country’s media industry for citizens to set up media houses, both print and electronic.

With this development, Zambia currently has about 150 Radio Stations and over 50 Television Stations. Additionally, the country has  several newspapers in circulation.

This diversity of media platforms has widened access to information and space for citizens to express themselves on various issues of national interest.

Chairperson, ladies and gentlemen,

This meeting, therefore, provides an important platform for media practitioners in Africa and beyond to engage in a robust discourse on how this noble profession can effectively contribute to shaping the Future of rights, the Future of free expression as drivers of other human rights and sustainable development on the continent of Africa.

As Governments in Africa, we, therefore, count on you as experts gathered here, to come up with tangible resolutions that will provide fertile ground for the growth of a free, independent and professional media.

On our part as Governments, we pledge our commitment  to continuously improve the environments for the media to flourish.

Chairperson, distinguished ladies and gentlemen,

Once again, I wish to welcome you all to Lusaka, venue for the 2^nd Africa Media Convention.

We wish you a memorable stay in Lusaka. In between your official schedules, we invite you to sample our hospitality and tourist facilities in the city.

At the end of the meeting, we invite you to stay a little longer in our city including our tourist capital, Livingstone.

I thank you. Please enjoy your stay.