Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) is set to spotlight shrinking civic space in Africa and the marginalization of persons with disabilities at the Global RightsCon 2026 Summit scheduled for May in Lusaka, Zambia.
The organization, led by its Executive Director, Dr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor, will convene a high-level dialogue titled “Silenced Twice: Press Freedom and Disability Voices Under Threat in Africa.”
The session will be held on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, from 1015 hours to 1115 hours at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre (Kenneth Kaunda Wing).
The high-level dialogue forms part of the global summit organized by Access Now, an international non-profit organization headquartered in New York and known for advancing digital rights worldwide.
It will bring together experts from journalism, law, disability rights advocacy, environmental advocacy and public health to examine issues at the intersection of press freedom, disability inclusion and civic participation.
The session is expected to highlight the “double marginalization” faced by persons with disabilities, including systemic barriers to participation and limited representation in media narratives.
Dr. Wemakor, speaking ahead of the event, said the dialogue would focus on generating practical solutions to safeguard freedom of expression while promoting inclusive media ecosystems across Africa and beyond.
He said participants would explore strategies to strengthen democratic resilience, expand access to digital and civic spaces, and advance rights-based digital governance.
The discussion will also underscore the role of journalists, policymakers, civil society organizations and international institutions in protecting fundamental freedoms and amplifying the voices of marginalized groups.
Dr. Wemakor, who will serve as both organizer and facilitator of the session, is a human rights advocate, peace ambassador and development communicator.
He is the founder of Human Rights Reporters Ghana, a civil society organization dedicated to promoting human dignity, social justice, democratic accountability and inclusive development in Ghana and beyond.
For more than a decade, the organization has supported women, children, youth, rural communities and other marginalized populations to claim their rights, engage decision-makers and participate in governance processes.
Its work covers key thematic areas, including child protection and child labour, women’s rights and gender justice, environmental and climate justice, civic space protection, policy advocacy, access to justice, investigative journalism, research and documentation, as well as training and capacity building for civil society actors, journalists and community leaders.
HRRG has received several recognitions, including the 5th UN Global Entreps Award for Best International Practice on Sustainability under its KTT Project, which has reached over 60,000 beneficiaries.
The organization also received the Africa Peace Advocate Award (2023), recognition at the African Human Rights Defenders Shield Awards (2023), and placed fourth in the Africans Rising Activism Award – Movement of the Year (2020).
Additional honours include the Honorary Award for Peace, Security and Education at the Africa Early Childhood Education Awards (2021) and its listing among Ghana’s 100 Most Impactful Changemakers (2024).
It has also been featured in Business Woman Club International Magazine (Ukraine, 2020) and recognized by the World Bank for its contribution to the Equality of Opportunity for Sexual and Gender Minorities (EQOSOGI) Report.
Beyond national engagement, HRRG supports more than 500 civil society organizations through the Ghana Civil Society Organizations Platform on the Sustainable Development Goals and has represented Ghana at major international forums, including the United Nations High-Level Political Forum and the Pan-African Human Rights and Social Justice Conference.
The dynamic session will feature a panel of international speakers, including Dalitso Mvula of the Centre for Environment Justice in Lusaka, Michael Karanicolas, a UK-based expert on freedom of expression and digital governance, and Alina Radu, an investigative journalist from Moldova.
Others are Elizabeth Zulu, a public health expert, and Joseph Mwanza, a disability rights advocate and Programs Officer at Disability Rights Watch.
HRRG said the dialogue is expected to contribute to global efforts to promote press freedom, inclusion and democratic participation in the digital age.
The organization noted that its participation in RightsCon 2026 marked another step in its growing international engagement and commitment to amplifying African voices on human rights issues.
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