Zambia committed to poverty reduction initiatives —Minister Mwamba assures UN

Zambia has told the United Nations that it has remained steadfast in efforts aimed at reducing poverty and social exclusion of the vulnerable.

Community and social development Minister Doreen Mwamba has said the Zambian government was committed to implementing social protection programmes whose coverage is targeted at the poor, with a special focus on reducing poverty, hunger and vulnerability among women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Mwamba said this when she delivered Zambia’s national statement at the 61st Session of the Commission for Social Development at UN Headquarters in New York .

This year’s session is taking place under the priority theme, “Creating full and productive employment and decent work for all as a way of overcoming inequalities to accelerate the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

To create productive employment and decent work for all, Mwamba said the Zambian government was implementing comprehensive social security reforms aimed at addressing the plight of workers both in the formal and informal sectors.

She informed the Commission that government remained committed to implementing the 10 percent quota for persons with disabilities in all types of employment as provided under the Persons with Disability Act of 2012.

The Minister informed the UN that Zambia enacted the Children’s Code Act No. 12 of 2022 with the aim of safeguarding children’s rights and enhancing child protection.

“The Act will contribute strengthening the role of the family in addressing harmful practices such as child marriage, child labour, child abandonment, which has contributed to high levels of vulnerable children in childcare facilities across the country,” Mwamba said.

She also said the country had prioritised youth development and empowerment through initiatives such as enhanced skills training and disbursement of empowerment funds in order to create employment for young people.

Mwamba participated in the ministerial forum on the priority theme where she re-affirmed government’s commitment to overcoming inequalities aimed at accelerating the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This is according to a press statement made available to Zambia Monitor by Namatama Njekwa,first secretary for press and public relations at Zambia ‘s permanent mission of the UN on Thursday.

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