UN does not have electoral observation mandate – Mutali

The United Nations (UN) in Zambia has clarified that it has no electoral observation mandate in the country and has therefore not deployed any election observers for the 13 August 2026 polls. Reacting to claims on social media suggesting that the UN had congratulated a…

 The United Nations (UN) in Zambia has clarified that it has no electoral observation mandate in the country and has therefore not deployed any election observers for the 13 August 2026 polls.

Reacting to claims on social media suggesting that the UN had congratulated a presidential candidate following the elections held in Zambia yesterday, UN Resident Coordinator, Beatrice Mutali, explained that the UN does not observe national electoral processes unless mandated by the General Assembly or the Security Council.

“While the UN supports Member States in strengthening democratic institutions and encourages compliance with international obligations and commitments, it does not pronounce itself on the validity of an electoral process or the legitimacy of electoral outcomes,” Ms Mutali said in a press statement issued in Lusaka today.

The UN has since strongly condemned the inappropriate and unlawful use of UN emblems and urged the public and media institutions to verify information through official UN communication channels and to refrain from sharing unverified content.

She explained that unverified content may contribute to misinformation and disinformation.

“The UN also stresses the importance of dialogue to defuse tensions and calls on political leaders to adhere to the political parties’ peace pledge and their supporters to reject any form of violence while awaiting the announcement of results.