www.misa.org invited stakeholders such as academia, legal, media and software engineers. Following the meetings, a report on the adoption of AI was produced and will be launched in March 2024. Development Goal 16.10. The report is the basis for evidence-based advocacy on the safety of journalists in Southern Africa. IMS validation meeting In collaboration with Friedrich-EbertStiftung (FESMedia), MISA produced the annual Transparency Assessment Index. The report focused on Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Access to information legislation is increasingly being enacted in the region. However, authorities’ commitment to improving access to public information must be measured. The Transparency Assessment Index is a tool that tests this commitment and is also an advocacy tool to improve transparency. On November 14 and 15, 2023, MISA organised and hosted a meeting to validate research on coalitions commissioned by International Media Support (IMS). The meeting was held in Cape Town, South Africa. On November 14, 2023, the meeting focused on the Southern Africa section of the report. The following day, it focused on the Africa-wide report. On the first day of the meeting, 30 people attended, while 32 participated at the following day. The validation meeting sought to develop a framework for supporting media coalitions. The framework included case studies of successful media coalitions in East, West and Southern Africa, as well as a model of how media coalitions can work with nontraditional media sector actors (e.g., big tech and business) with common interests. This will help identify national-level, regional-level and continent-level media development priorities to shape the agenda for media coalitions in Africa from 2024 to 2026 (and possibly beyond). MISA Regional Publications State of Press Freedom in Southern Africa Report MISA produced the third State of Press Freedom in Southern Africa Report. This report looks at the state of access to information, freedom of expression, and freedom of the media in 10 Southern African countries. It seeks to ascertain how far Southern African countries would have gone towards attaining Sustainable MISA Regional Annual Report 2023 Transparency Assessment Index ACHPR submissions MISA made two presentations to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). In the first submission during the 75th Ordinary Session of the ACHPR on 4 May 2023, MISA raised concerns about growing selfcensorship in the region, which has been occasioned by laws that stifle freedom of expression and association. MISA also pointed out that the area was experiencing democratic backsliding and regression. Furthermore, MISA also noted that governments were reportedly resorting to surveilling citizens without the requisite policies or regulatory frameworks. In its presentation, MISA also raised concern about the harassment of female journalists, particularly online. MISA called on regional governments to: • • Domesticate the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. Repeal legislation with the potential to 13