strategic plan. f. global channels. Elections monitoring k. Global Leadership Footprints In August MISA dispatched a delegation of Regional Governing Council members to observe the elections in Zambia. g. Regional engagement on Technology, Surveillance and Data Protection On 8 October 2021, MISA organised a regional engagement meeting on Technology Surveillance and Data Protection meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa. The sessions focused on artificial intelligence and fundamental rights in Southern Africa and free expression versus hate speech and curbing disinformation and misinformation. h. Regional Dialogue for Non-State Actors on the SADC RISDP 2020-30 MISA was part of the organising committee of the Regional Dialogue for Non-State Actors on the SADC RISDP 2020-30 Implementation Plan on 29 and 30 June 2021, which was held virtually. The dialogue was co-convened by Southern Africa Trust, Economic Justice Network (EJN) of the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa (FOCCISA), Southern African People’s Solidarity Network (SAPSN), Southern Africa Coordination Council (SATUCC), Gender Links, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), and the Partnership for Social Accountability (PSA) Alliance (a consortium of ActionAid International (AAI), Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) of Rhodes University, Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers’ Forum (ESAFF) and SAfAIDS). i. MISA through its Regional Director was elected into the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) Steering Committee as one of the 17 board members in September 2021. GFMD has more than 200 organisations promoting free media globally. MISA Regional Publications State of Press Freedom in Southern Africa Report MISA produced the first 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 countries in Southern Africa. The report seeks to ascertain how far Southern African countries would have gone towards attaining Sustainable Development Goal 16.10. This is an annual report. Transparency Assessment Index One of MISA’s strategic goals is to ensure that countries in the region adopt access to information laws. Furthermore, when access to information legislation is adopted, MISA surveys how open public institutions are in terms of disseminating public information to the public. In 2021 the Transparency Assessment Index focused on Botswana, Lesotho, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In 2022, the scope of the Transparency Assessment Index will be expanded to cover more countries. The 68th Session of Africa Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) MISA, through its Regional Director, Tabani Moyo addressed the 68th Session of the ACHPR wherein, he updated the Commission on the challenges faced by the media and expression in Southern Africa in July 2021 j. The Africa ICT Ministers Forum MISA addressed the Africa ICT Ministers Forum on the State of Internet Freedom in Southern Africa on 4 November 2021, tackling the challenge of the sprouting of cyber security laws in the region that were not in sync with the ACHPR’s Declaration on the Principles of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information. The address was extensively covered by the SABC and eNCA among othe MISA Regional 2021 Annual 2021 Report 9