for ensuring their safety, adopting measures to prevent attacks against them for the exercise of their functions, and ensuring investigations, prosecutions and accountability for attacks against them. This extends to preventing and ensuring accountability for attacks perpetrated by “law enforcement, security, intelligence, military and other personnel”, such as the police. The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression has warned that “Failure to undertake effective investigations and to prosecute those responsible for attacks against journalists perpetrates further violence and undermines the ability of journalists to report on similar matters in the future.” The authorities are therefore required to ensure accountability for attacks against journalists as a means of fully protecting the right to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom23 The report sparked debate, with the government dismissing the findings24. It is however, important that the findings are weighed against various benchmarks, especially that the country heads to the polls in August with several political parties offering policy alternatives on protection of human rights, key among them freedom of expression (and by extension, freedom of the media). 3.2.1 Access to Information Bill In the quarter under review, there was no significant progress on enactment of a law on Access to Information as forecasted in the previous State of the Media Report based on the trajectory of events recorded. History has repeated itself as another session of Parliament25 came to an end and election campaigns began, with political parties promising enactment of the ATI Bill as a hall mark feature of their manifestos. This marks nearly twenty (20) years of advocacy (since January 200226) for enactment of a law on access to information, with successive governments failing to enact it despite several promises and steps taken to do so. Prior to its dissolution, on 13th April, Parliament unanimously adopted a report of the Committee on Media, Information and Communication Technologies, which recommended for the fast tracking of the process to enact a law on Access to Information in view of its benefits for the citizenry and potential to enhance investigative reporting in Zambia27. The law on Access to Information is critical for the enhancement of transparency, accountability and the role of the media, all of which are essential in a liberal democracy. Further, such a law could help to alleviate vices such as corruption which thrive in an environment of secrecy. While it is commendable that the Government Communication Policy was adopted in erstwhile quarters, there was no clear roadmap towards the review of the Bill as well as a process of enactment. Further, as highlighted in the State of the Media Report for the fourth quarter, 2020, some of the measures in the policy actually impede the essence and logic of public access to information. 23 Page 21, Amnesty International, 2021. Ruling by fear and repression. London: Amnesty. 24 In a statement issued by Ministry of Information Permanent Secretary, Amos Malupenga, government disputed the findings of the report, stating that it is “not unusual for organisations to cause panic when they anticipate that an election outcome is not likely to suit their preferences”. 25 The fifth session of the twelfth National Assembly came to an end on 12th May while Parliament dissolved on 14th May in line with the Constitutional Provision in Article 81 (3). 26 A narration of all meetings and steps taken at the beginning of advocacy activities for the Access to Information (then Freedom of Information), ZNBC amendment and Independent Broadcasting Authority Acts I detailed by Matibini, P. (2006). The struggle for media law reforms in Zambia. Lusaka: MISA. 27 See https://www.parliament.gov.zm/node/8894 12 State of the Media in Zambia