Livelihoods and Innovations

We promote innovative approaches that tackle the connected issues of multidimensional poverty, inequality and exclusion, and sustainability, while enhancing knowledge, skills and production technologies to enlarge peoples’ choices, reduce risks and sustain development gains. UNDP has been providing extensive support to national policy development and implementation through the provision of evidence-based policy guidance and programmatic support and by promoting active participation of youth, including the most marginalized and vulnerable in all spheres of society, including economic activities. UNDP also supports the capacity development of young people and youth-led organizations, and the development of youth caucuses in government, parliament and other bodies.

Promoting Sustainable Resettlement

The quest for an effective method to enable the shift from humanitarian interventions to long-term sustainable development for dealing with cases of protracted displacement is long-standing. The Government of Zambia and the United Nations (UN) in Zambia have together developed a Programme of Sustainable Resettlement, with the aim of: i) meeting the high ambitions and standards of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; ii) supporting the local integration of former Angolan and Rwandan refugees in Zambia into new communities in designated resettlement areas: and iii) supporting the local integration of youth in the Mwange resettlement scheme. UNDP is lead agency in the implementation of this programme. This programme recognizes that successful local integration cannot be instant but must be planned and supported over time.

Transformation of the Extractive Sector

We partner with government, private sector and CSOs to support the transformation of the extractive sector to promote broad-based economic development and structural transformation to achieve Vision 2030, the African Mining Vision and the SDGs.  Support is being provided to facilitate backward and forward linkages, thereby creating opportunities for value addition and increased value chains which a diverse range of private sector. This is being done through strengthening the policy and regulatory framework as well as capacitating small-scale miners and regulatory agencies to improve the management, exploitation and beneficiation of the mineral resources to harness the full potential of small-scale mining to stimulate entrepreneurship and improve livelihoods.

National Health Systems Strengthening

An effectively performing health system is key to improving the population’s health status, providing protection against health-related financial risks and enhancing the health sector’s responsiveness to people’s needs. UNDP is providing technical and financial support for health systems strengthening to maximize the overall impact of health programs of the Government and to contribute to achieving health-related goals. UNDP is strengthening supply chain management and other capacities in the Ministry of Health and Medical Stores Limited (an autonomous government agency). This is resulting in improved and more equitable distribution of services and lifesaving medicines to vulnerable populations in peri-urban and rural areas. Furthermore, UNDP is supporting Government removing barriers hindering women’s and key population’s access to HIV and AIDS services.

Promotion of Gender Equality

The promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women is an integral part of the vision of sustainable human development of the United Nations system. In alignment with the Country Programme Document for 2023 - 2027, UNDP Zambia works to reduce inequalities by promoting the rights of women and girls, and by combating discriminatory practices, roles and stereotypes that affect women's opportunities for participation in the workplace. development process and reinforce the obstacles to their empowerment. To this end, the UNDP promotes the equitable participation of men and women as beneficiaries of development programmes, job creation and service provision. We are particularly committed to increasing women's access to livelihoods and sustainable production tools, vocational training, inclusive micro-finance and support for entrepreneurship. UNDP contributes to substantially reducing the socio-economic vulnerability of women by supporting approaches that reduce or eliminate often invisible barriers to women's empowerment.