The United Nations Human Rights Council recently held a virtual meeting with journalists, officials from human rights organisations and the Media Institute of Southern Africa MISA Malawi chapter to assess how the Malawi government is implementing human rights recommendations.

The council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Information Programme manager, Nicolletta Zappile outlined that while Malawi has over the years implemented 61% of the human rights recommendations by the council, the media has a role to play in tracking government’s interventions on human rights.

Meanwhile, Malawi is yet to pass the Access to information bill and enactment of the marriage, divorce and family relations act. On the other hand, during a media training on national budget reporting organised by the Parliament of Malawi with support from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the Ministry of Finance called on the media to unceasingly track the national budget to ensure that money approved in Parliament is used for the intended purpose.