United Nations Joint Programme to support Zambia's National Social Protection Policy

Over the past decade, Zambia has achieved macroeconomic stability and recorded a growth rate of over 6 per cent per year, and is now classified as a lower-middle-income country. However, growth has failed to be more inclusive primarily because it has been driven by capital intensive sectors in urban areas (mining, construction and transport). As a result, there has only been a marginal decline in high rates of poverty and malnutrition, and inequality has increased. In 2010, the headcount rates for overall and extreme poverty nationally remained high at 60.5% and 42%, similar to 2006 levels, whilst the absolute numbers of people living below the poverty line were increasing with population growth (from 6 million in 1991 to 7.9 million in 2010). The most vulnerable include those living in poverty, women, children and the aged, people with disabilities, vulnerable migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons, and minorities. Within this context the UN Joint Programme on Social Protection has been developed by ILO, IOM, UNICEF and WFP to support the implementation of Zambia’s National Social Protection Policy, which was developed with technical support from the ILO. The ILO´s work focuses on the Social Security, Disability as well as the Coordination pillars. Under the Social Security Pillar, support is provided for the development of appropriate legal, administrative and operational frameworks upon which the delivery of social health services will be premised. The Coordination Pillar focuses systems strengthening coherence between and across the National Social Protection Policy Pillars. The Disability Pillar contributes to strengthening the knowledge base on barriers faced by people with disabilities in accessing social protection schemes and other basic services and on improving capacities in the delivery of social services to persons with disabilities. The ILO is the lead agency in supporting greater access to basic social services and social protection programmes for persons with disabilities. The expected results from ILO interventions are: I. Improved Social security delivery II. Strengthened delivery capacity of related ministries (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Social Security and Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare). III. Extension of social security to workers in the informal economy IV. Development and implementation of the Integrated Framework for social protection V. Increased governance and administrative capacity VI. Improved knowledge base on the barriers people with disabilities face in accessing basic services, social protection programmes, labor market and business opportunities VII. Increased disability awareness of key stakeholders VIII. Increased awareness on the rights of people with disabilities among the general public IX. Strengthened organizational capacity of key disability institutions X. A disability management information system

Project symbol

ZMB/15/04/CEF

Admin unit

CO-Lusaka

Start date

01/02/2016

End date

31/03/2019

Total allocation

2496725

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

2496951

Development Partners

United Nations Children's Fund

Country/Countries

Zambia

Outcomes

Outcome 8: Comprehensive and sustainable social protection for all