lawyers, media and civil society representative. The conference discussed the need for a media law reform in the region. A declaration of commitment was issued after the conference where members of parliament vowed to push for media law reform within their own countries and to work closely with civil society organisations. (See annex 1) A2. MISA Botswana continued to agitate for government’s change against their planned Mass Media Communications Bill initiatives. This Bill was viewed as being retrogressive as it is seen as another attempt to muzzle the press and control editorial policy. The Botswana government has since withheld the Bill and have instead asked the Chapter and the newly formed Press Council to come up with a revised document. A3. The MISA Malawi Chapter made a fresh appeal to review the laws as the reform process is taking too long. The Law Commission has its own priority laws to review but the Chapter is still continuing to dialogue with them in the hope that this will speed up the process. The Malawi Chapter is also championing the Access to Information bill and the government through the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Information, has been informed about the Chapter’s intention to come up with the bill and the importance of having such a bill in Malawi. A legal expert is finalising the drafting of the bill that will be sent to the government for their scrutiny and comments as soon as it is ready. The Chapter plans to embark on a rigorous campaign drive to sensitise the nation on what the bill is all about and why it is needed. Legal experts have advised the Malawi Chapter that chances of parliament passing it as a private member's bill are slim. A4. In September 2002 a consultant was hired to look into the Press Law of Mozambique in order to recommend possible changes and a national workshop on this is being prepared. In November and December 2002 the MISA Mozambique Chapter organized provincial debates on the “Need of Legislation on Access to State Information”. The debates took place in Xai-Xai (Gaza province), Inhambane City (Inhambane Province), Beira (Sofala Province), Chimoio (Manica Province), Tete (Tete province), Quelimane (Zambézia province), Nampula (Nampula Province), Pemba (Cabo Delgado Province), Lichinga (Niassa Province). On 15 and 16 May 2003 the Chapter organised a national workshop in Maputo to look into the final version of the draft to be taken for lobbying at the Parliament. It was suggested that the draft needed to be more refined and a team comprising of journalists and lawyers was set up to re-work the document to be 6