Founder & Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), Dr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor, is set to take centre stage at the RightsCon 2026 Summit, scheduled to take place from May 5 to 8, 2026, in Lusaka, Zambia.
He will convene and facilitate a high-level dialogue on press freedom and disability inclusion as part of the 14th edition of global summit organised by Access Now, a New York-headquartered non-profit organisation known for defending and advancing digital rights globally.
The summit is expected to attract between 2,500 and 4,000 in-person participants, as well as more than 3,000 virtual attendees from over 150 countries, making it one of the world’s leading gatherings on digital rights, civic space and inclusive development.
Dr. Wemakor will lead a featured session titled “Silenced Twice: Press Freedom and Disability Voices Under Threat in Africa,” aimed at highlighting the growing threats facing media freedom and marginalised communities across the continent.
The session will examine how shrinking civic space and restrictions on press freedom are compounding inequalities, particularly for persons with disabilities who face “double marginalisation” through systemic exclusion and underrepresentation in media narratives.
Participants are expected to explore strategies to strengthen inclusive media ecosystems, safeguard freedom of expression, and ensure equitable access to digital and civic spaces.
Dr. Wemakor’s leadership in convening the session reflects his growing international stature and a distinguished record in advocacy, policy engagement and global recognition.
For more than a decade, he has championed human rights, child protection, gender equality, climate justice and sustainable livelihoods, leading initiatives that empower vulnerable communities across Ghana and beyond.
He serves as a Steering Committee Member of the Ghana Civil Society Organisations Platform on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Convener of its Youth Sub-Platform, representing over 500 civil society organisations nationwide.
On the global stage, Dr. Wemakor has represented Ghana and delivered keynote addresses, speeches and panel interventions at major continental and international forums.
These include the United Nations High-Level Political Forum, the Pan-African Human Rights and Social Justice Conference, the International Seminar on Enhancing Human Rights Activities in North Korea held in Accra, the Pan-African Conference on National Security and Human Rights in Nairobi, the South Korea COVID-19 Human Rights Forums, and the High-Level Africa Civil Society AML/CFT Conference in Gaborone, Botswana.
He has also served as Special Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker at the Farmers Care Programme in Yilo Krobo, Somanya, as well as a panel speaker at the Third West Africa Civil Society Week in Accra.
He was also a featured speaker at the National Civil Society Conference marking the 80th Anniversary of the United Nations in Ghana, where he spoke on youth engagement in advancing human rights and the SDGs.
His achievements have earned him numerous national and international recognitions, including the prestigious 5th UN Global Entreps Award (Best International Practice on Sustainability), where he emerged as the only Ghanaian awardee in West Africa.
He is also a recipient of the Africa Peace Advocate Award (2023) and a finalist for the African Human Rights Defenders Shield Award (2023).
Dr. Wemakor further led his organisation to place fourth at the Africans Rising Activism Award (2020), received the Peace, Security and Education Award of the Year (2021) at the Africa Early Childhood Education Awards, and was listed among Ghana’s 100 Most Impactful Changemakers in 2024.
In journalism, he was named Most Influential Student Media Personnel (2016) by the Ghana Institute of Journalism and won the National Migration Media Award (2018).
He also received recognition during the institute’s 60th Anniversary Media Contest for reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Internationally, he has been featured in International Business Woman Magazine (Ukraine), accredited by the European Parliament, and recognised by the World Bank for his expert contribution to the 2nd Equality of Opportunity for Sexual and Gender Minorities (EQOSOGI) Report.
He is also a recipient of the Global Doctoral Humanitarian and Ministerial Excellence Award and holds a Doctorate in Executive Leadership in Humanity from the International Kingdom University in Florida, United States.
The session will feature a panel of distinguished speakers, including Dalitso Mvula, an environmental justice advocate with the Centre for Environment Justice in Lusaka, whose work focuses on climate governance and community resilience; Michael Karanicolas, a UK-based expert on freedom of expression and digital governance; Alina Radu, an award-winning investigative journalist and media leader advancing press freedom and anti-corruption efforts in Eastern Europe; Elizabeth Zulu, a public health professional dedicated to community health education and improving access to healthcare for vulnerable populations and Joseph Mwanza, a disability rights advocate and Programs Officer at Disability Rights Watch, who is expected to provide practical insights into advancing disability inclusion and strengthening advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities.
The dialogue is expected to generate actionable strategies to strengthen inclusive media ecosystems, protect fundamental freedoms and promote equitable participation in digital and civic spaces.
Dr. Wemakor’s convening of the session underscores HRRG’s growing global footprint and reinforces his commitment to amplifying marginalised voices, safeguarding press freedom and advancing inclusive, rights-based development.