Report on Human Rights Priorities and Sustainable Development Goals for Malawi’s 2025 General Elections

Introduction: A Manifesto for Sustainable Development

Amnesty International has issued a human rights manifesto ahead of Malawi’s general elections scheduled for 16 September 2025. The document outlines key priorities for the incoming administration, framing the protection of human rights as a foundational element for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report calls on all presidential and parliamentary candidates to commit to a human rights agenda that promotes inclusive and sustainable development for all Malawians.

Aligning with SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

A significant portion of the manifesto addresses failures and necessary reforms related to SDG 16, which focuses on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Current Deficiencies in Governance and Justice

• Erosion of Civic Space: The current administration has been criticized for shrinking civic space through repressive legislation, including the NGO amendment bill (2022) and the Electronic Transactions and Cybersecurity Act (2016), which have been used to limit freedom of association and suppress dissent.
• Lack of Transparency and Accountability: Despite promises to “clear the rubble of impunity,” the government has failed to operationalize the Access to Information Act, hindering transparency and accountability.
• Unfulfilled Promises: The first term of the current administration fell short of its commitments to strengthen human rights protections and ensure government accountability.

Recommendations for the Incoming Administration

1. Legislative Reform: Immediately review and reform laws that restrict the fundamental rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association to foster an open and democratic society.
2. Ensure Access to Information: Fully operationalize the Access to Information Act to empower citizens and ensure government transparency, a key target of SDG 16.
3. Protect Civil Society: Guarantee a safe and enabling environment for civil society organizations and human rights defenders to operate freely.
4. Strengthen the Rule of Law: Take decisive steps towards abolishing the death penalty to uphold the right to life and enhance the justice system.

Advancing SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

The manifesto emphasizes the urgent need to protect marginalized and vulnerable groups, directly aligning with the principles of SDG 5 and SDG 10, which call for gender equality and the reduction of inequalities within and among countries.

Identified Areas of Concern

• Gender-Based Violence: Existing laws and policies have failed to adequately protect women and girls from domestic abuse, sexual violence, and other forms of gender-based violence.
• Discrimination Against LGBTI Persons: Laws criminalizing consensual same-sex conduct violate fundamental human rights and perpetuate inequality.
• Vulnerability of Marginalized Groups: The rights of persons with disabilities, including persons with albinism, as well as refugees and migrants, are not sufficiently protected.

Priorities for Action

1. Protect Women’s Rights: Strengthen the implementation of legal frameworks to protect women from violence and ensure access to sexual and reproductive health services, contributing to the targets of SDG 5.
2. Ensure Equality for All: Repeal discriminatory anti-LGBTI laws and implement policies that protect and uphold the rights of all marginalized communities, ensuring dignity and inclusion.
3. Uphold the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Enact and enforce measures to guarantee the full participation and protection of persons with disabilities in society.

Addressing Foundational Socio-Economic Rights (SDG 1 and SDG 2)

The report also highlights the government’s failure to address core socio-economic rights, which are central to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).

Key Socio-Economic Priorities

• The Right to Food: The manifesto identifies the right to food as a key human rights priority that the next government must address.
• Economic and Living Standards: The current administration is noted for its broken promises in relation to improving the economy and living standards, indicating a need for renewed focus on poverty reduction and sustainable economic growth.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are relevant to the human rights issues in Malawi as discussed in the article:

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The article explicitly lists the “right to food” as one of the eight key human rights priorities identified by Amnesty International for the incoming Malawian government. This directly connects to the goal of ending hunger and ensuring food security.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The manifesto calls for the protection of “women’s rights” and highlights the state’s failure to protect women from “domestic abuse, sexual violence, harmful practices, and other forms of gender-based violence.” It also mentions the need for “provision of sexual and reproductive health services,” which is a key component of this goal.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: This goal is addressed through the call to protect the rights of marginalized groups. The article specifically mentions the “rights of persons with disabilities including persons with albinism,” “protections for refugees and migrants,” and the rights of “LGBTI persons.” The call to repeal discriminatory laws against these groups is central to reducing inequality.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This is the most prominently featured SDG. The article discusses at length the need to protect “freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,” ensure “access to information,” abolish the “death penalty,” and end “impunity.” The critique of repressive laws like the “NGO amendment bill” and the “Electronic Transactions and Cybersecurity Act 2016,” along with the call for transparency and accountability, directly relates to building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The call for the “provision of sexual and reproductive health services” connects to this goal, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues raised, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

• Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access by all people… to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round. This is directly linked to the identified priority of ensuring the “right to food.”
• Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. This is relevant to the call to protect women’s rights and address legal and policy gaps.
• Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls. The article’s focus on protecting women from “domestic abuse, sexual violence, harmful practices, and other forms of gender-based violence” clearly aligns with this target.
• Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. This is explicitly mentioned in the article as a priority issue.
• Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… disability… or other status. This is addressed by the call to protect the rights of “persons with disabilities,” “refugees and migrants,” and “LGBTI persons.”
• Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices. The demand to “repeal of anti-LGBTI laws” is a direct reflection of this target.
• Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law… and ensure equal access to justice for all. The article’s mention of clearing the “rubble of impunity” and the call to abolish the “death penalty” relate to this target.
• Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The critique of the current administration’s failure to ensure “transparency and accountability within government” directly points to this target.
• Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms. This is a central theme of the article, which discusses the failure to operationalize the “Access to Information Act” and the use of repressive laws to limit “freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not cite official SDG indicators, but it implies several ways to measure progress:

• Legal and Policy Reform: Progress can be measured by the status of specific laws. For example:
  • The full operationalization of the “Access to Information Act” (Indicator for Target 16.10).
  • The review, reform, or repeal of the “draconian NGO amendment bill” and the “Electronic Transactions and Cybersecurity Act 2016” (Indicator for Target 16.10).
  • The repeal of “anti-LGBTI laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct” (Indicator for Target 10.3).
  • The legal abolishment of the “death penalty” (Indicator for Target 16.3).
• Implementation of Policies: The article notes “gaps in the implementation of existing laws and policies” to protect women. An indicator would be the effective enforcement of these laws, potentially measured by reduced rates of gender-based violence or increased support for victims (Indicator for Target 5.2).
• State of Civic Space: The ability of “civil society organizations and actors can freely do their work” and the absence of harassment against journalists and dissenters would serve as an indicator of a safe and enabling environment (Indicator for Target 16.10).
• Access to Services: The availability and accessibility of “sexual and reproductive health services” for the population can be measured to track progress (Indicator for Target 5.6).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: amnesty.org