A/HRC/61/50/Add.1 5. Zambia, unlike most of its neighbours, has managed to avoid the war and upheaval that has marked much of Africa’s post-colonial history, earning itself a reputation for political stability, though it has not escaped impact. Zambia hosts some 106,136 refugees, asylum-seekers and former refugees, including 61,925 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.2 6. The general elections in August 2021 resulted in a transfer of power from the Patriotic Front to the opposition United Party for National Development, and Hakainde Hichilema was elected as President. The Patriotic Front remains the main opposition party. With general elections announced for August 2026, the country has entered a pre-election period. 7. Zambian foreign policy formation is highly centralized, empowering the country’s President to shape foreign relations, international partnerships and its geopolitical stance.3 Under the presidency of Mr. Hichilema, the country’s relationships with key Western partners have been revised, while links have been maintained with China and countries in the wider African continent.4 8. According to the 2022 census, the population of Zambia stands at 19.6 million. The country is home to a diverse population, with various ethnicities, languages and religions. Religion plays a significant role in the lives of Zambians, and the country has a rich history of religious diversity. Christianity was introduced to Zambia by European missionaries during the colonial era, and it has since become deeply ingrained at the societal and cultural level. 9. The Zambia Statistics Agency estimates 95.5% of the country’s population as Christian. The Protestant Church is the largest Christian denomination in the country, followed by the Roman Catholic Church. Other Christian denominations include Seventh-day Adventists, the New Apostolic Church and Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Agency reports approximately 2.7% of the population as Muslim, with smaller numbers of Hindus, Baha’is, Buddhists, Jews and Sikhs. Smaller numbers still adhere to other belief systems, including Indigenous or African traditional religions and witchcraft, or hold no religious beliefs, though the fact that many combine Christianity and Indigenous beliefs and practices makes these estimates less reliable. 10. Zambia is known for its religious tolerance and the peaceful coexistence between different faiths. The Special Rapporteur notes that the country has a history of interfaith cooperation which seems to be genuinely good, 5 and that religious leaders have been involved in efforts to promote peace and reconciliation, and strong co-operation on issues such as malaria eradication. 6 Interfaith dialogue and relations are an important part of religious life in Zambia and the Government has been supportive of this at the local and the national levels. Religious charitable activity is welcomed by the Government and society; for example, Muslim charitable activity has been positively portrayed in the media and many schools are faith-run.7 III. Government cooperation with the United Nations system 11. Zambia is a Party to a number of international and regional human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Freedom of religion or belief is upheld in article 18 of the Covenant and article 8 of the African Charter. 2 3 4 5 6 7 GE.26-02761 See https://data.unhcr.org/en/country/zmb. Ibid. See https://www.chathamhouse.org/2023/03/zambias-developing-international-relations/zambiasinternational-relations-and-economic. See https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372846785_INTERRELIGIOUS_EFFORTS _AND_RELATIONS_AMONG_RELIGIONS_IN_ZAMBIA_A_REVIEW. See https://allafrica.com/stories/202212010515.html. See https://brill.com/view/journals/iafr/13/1/article-p47_003.xml. 3