While Zambia is stable and peaceful and endowed with substantial natural resources and an abundance of land and water, almost a third of the population still live under the poverty line - and Zambia ranks 150th on the United Nations human development index.
However, Zambia has bucked the trend in southern Africa in recent years - showing a greater respect for human rights, good governance and democracy than many of its neighbours in the Southern African Development Community. Indeed, Zambia could meet the Millennium Development Goals of halving the proportion of its people who suffer from hunger, providing universal primary education and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015. It has also reduced maternal and child mortality - although 15 percent of children still die before their 5th birthday.
In 2008, Zambia cemented its democratic credentials with a presidential by-election judged free and fair by observers. General elections are due in 2011 and will demonstrate whether democracy is becoming truly entrenched in Zambia. The country is striving to implement an anti-corruption policy and increase the transparency of financial management systems.
The 2008 global financial crisis caused a steep fall in price and demand for Zambia's primary export, copper, reducing government revenue and causing significant job losses. However, the price is soaring again on the back of continued demand from China and so Zambia's economy is improving.
A number of laws that hinder the advancement of people's rights remain on the statute books, including the Public Order Act. The judicial system is inefficient and politically compromised, and corruption is rife.
Women continue to occupy a low socio-economic status, which is further exacerbated by discriminatory laws. However, the women's movement is a strong and vibrant part of the country's well-developed civil society.
In the last five years civil society has been actively engaged in the constitutional review process. The process is being spearheaded by the Constitutional Conference, which consists of 498 representatives from all sectors of the Zambian population. The conference is working in 11 commissions on major changes, including a new electoral system, an independent electoral council, greater control by parliament over de government, financial guarantees for local governments, and the provision that a presidential candidate requires more than 50% of the votes in order to be elected.
In general the human rights record of Zambia is acceptable. However, there have been in recent years a number of cases of police killings of suspects in detention. The situation in prisons is also cause for concern.
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