Access to information will enable citizen participation on such important developmental issues as the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, the UN Millennium Development Goals and the AU's NEPAD and its African Peer Review Mechanism.

Advocacy work for freedom of expression and media freedom will continue to target governments and their institutions. The new strategic focus of the program is to actively engage civil society and grass roots organizations to play a key role in advocating for the need to have access to information legislation framework adopted in their respective countries.

In terms of freedom of expression and media freedom, the new focus is to mobilize media institutions to be at the forefront of advocacy work for the protection of media freedom. During SPP 1 the media and media practitioners were largely mute in the fight to protect free expression. Media still remain the victim of government repression and intolerance and as such, should be mobilized to become a pressure group.

Milestones under program A during SPP1 have been the piloting of Access to Information Legislation through the ASK Campaign. The piloting of the ASK campaign has been carried out in seven countries in the SADC. Mixed results have been achieved, thus the program area will undergo some refocusing and re-sharpening. In Zambia, a new dimension to the program emerged where the campaign for adoption of an Access to Information legislation will be closely tied to the campaign to review the Zambian constitution.

The chapter will aggressively deal with issues relating to constitutional guarantee of press freedom and free expression. This came about as a result of calls for a new constitution for Zambia where civil society has been calling for the establishment of a constituent assembly to adopt a new constitution. In Swaziland the issue of constitutionalism is also placed high on the agenda. The campaign to repeal unfriendly laws will also enjoy high priority among chapters. The campaign to have access to information legislation adopted in SADC countries within SPP2 will be carried out.