Danielle Resnick
In December 2021, President Biden’s administration hosted the first Summit for Democracy, which resulted in the Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal that encompassed about a dozen different programs that the United States government aspired to support with $424.4 million. From March 29-30, the U.S. will partner with countries on diverse continents to co-host a second Summit for Democracy. Zambia is the designated African partner country and will join fellow co-hosts Costa Rica, the Netherlands, and South Korea. The choice of the southern African nation is not surprising given widespread international praise of Hakainde Hichilema, Zambia’s president, who won the 2021 elections and quickly moved to transform the country’s image. After years of democratic backsliding under his predecessor, Hichilema recently repealed a draconian law against defaming the president that was frequently used to imprison opposition leaders and activists. He also established a new debt management office, with input from civil society, to enhance transparency over foreign borrowing.
