United Nations in Zambia

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Zambia:

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25 September 2020

Have your say. Shape your future.

To mark its 75th anniversary, the United Nations is launching a global conversation on the role of international cooperation in building the future we want.

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05 June 2023

Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, visits Zambia

From 30 May to 2 June 2023, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, visited Zambia for engagements to discuss the country’s contribution to United Nations (UN) peace operations, as well as regional security and political dynamics. He was accompanied by Military Adviser in the Department of Peace Operations, General Birame Diop. The visit to Zambia was part of a three-nation mission that included Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for similar engagements around peace and security. Mr. Lacroix started off his mission in Zambia with a courtesy call on the country’s President, His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, at State House in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka. The President expressed Zambia’s continued support to UN peacekeeping. “We wish to continue on this path of being part of peace missions to keep our individual countries stable, to keep our region stable, to keep Africa and the global community stable. We hold the view that instability anywhere is instability everywhere,” said Mr. Hichilema. Mr. Lacroix conveyed the UN’s appreciation for Zambia’s admirable and outstanding record in peacekeeping operations which spans for decades. “I want to really pay tribute to the service of the men and women in uniform from Zambia serving in our peacekeeping operations. We are extremely proud and grateful for their service…not only the professionalism, the excellent service and dedication and commitment, outstanding performance when it comes to conduct and discipline which is much appreciated,” said Mr. Lacroix. He also noted the recent appointment, by the UN Secretary General, of a Zambian national as Force Commander for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). “We look forward to having Major General Humphrey Nyone as the Force Commander for MINUSCA, our operation in the Central African Republic…one of the biggest peacekeeping operations. We look forward to increasing further and developing further our cooperation including on peacekeeping operations,” he said. Mr. Lacroix congratulated the President, the Zambian armed forces and police for promoting the role of women in peacekeeping. “Your ranking in terms of the proportion of women both in the individual officers category and the formed unit is really excellent and makes a huge difference. We thank you for that,” he said. Apart from gracing Zambia’s commemoration of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers at the Kenneth Kaunda Peace Training Centre as Guest of Honour, the Under-Secretary-General also visited Ndola for a solemn ceremony led by Zambia’s defence forces at the site where second UN Secretary-General, Mr. Dag Hammarskjöld, died in a plane crash in 1961 while on a mission to bring peace to then Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Joined by Zambian defence and service chiefs as well as the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Beatrice Mutali, Mr. Lacroix laid a wreath under a bust of Hammarskjöld and eulogised the former Secretary General for his peace efforts. Copperbelt Province Minister Elisha Matambo represented the Zambian Government. While in the country, Mr. Lacroix also met members of the UN Country Team during which he encouraged UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes in the country to provide support during peacekeeping training based on their respective mandates. Zambia is currently among the top 20 contributors to UN peacekeeping in terms of troop contributions with a large number of peacekeepers in the Central African Republic. UN Peacekeeping helps countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace. It has unique strengths, including legitimacy, burden sharing, and an ability to deploy troops and police from around the world, integrating them with civilian peacekeepers to address a range of mandates set by the UN Security Council and General Assembly. This year marks 75 years of UN peacekeeping. So far, more than two million men and women from 175 countries have served in 71 peacekeeping missions.

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25 May 2023

UN Zambia Commemorates the Nakba

On 24 May 2023, the United Nations in Zambia organized the commemoration of the Nakba or the mass displacement of the Palestinians at an event that saw the attendance of several members of the diplomatic corps, members of the Palestinian community in Zambia, journalists, representatives of Faith Based Organisations, NGOs and youth. Minister of Tourism Mr. Rodney Sikumba, MP, was the Guest of Honour, representing the Government of Zambia. The Minister commended all global and regional efforts over the years, to bring about tranquillity in the region. “We pay tribute to those whose commitment to peace has allowed diplomatic negotiations to bring to bear the various agreements that are in place, and which are crucial building blocks to peaceful co-existence,” he said. He said that in line with the UN Charter, and Zambia’s Foreign Policy, both of which uphold the principle of the inalienable right to self-determination, the Government would continue to advocate for the peaceful resolution of all forms of conflicts, aimed at promoting peace and stability through diplomatic means. “On behalf of the Zambian Government, I, therefore, wish to take this opportunity to reaffirm, our commitment to working with the United Nations and all Members of the International Community to achieve lasting peace in the region,” said Mr. Sikumba. UN Resident Coordinator Ms Beatrice Mutali called for peace between Israel and Palestine. Reading remarks made by Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs at the High-Level Special Meeting on the 75th Commemoration of the Nakba in New York on 15 May 2023, Ms Mutali said the UN was committed to finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “On 30 November of last year, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution, calling for the commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Nakba. The legacy of that event lives on, spurring us to continue our unflagging efforts to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These efforts have been central to the work of the United Nations since its earliest days,” she said. “The UN position is clear. The occupation must end. A two-State solution that will bring lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike must be achieved in line with international law, UN resolutions and previous agreements. We want to see an independent State of Palestine living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States,” she added. For his part, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Zambia Dr Walid Hasan noted the need for self-determination and the independence of Palestine. “I want to stress that the most important condition for achieving peace and security in our region lies in recognizing the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the independence of their sovereign Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and resolving the Palestinian refugee issue on the basis of Resolution 194 and the release of all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. Peace and security cannot be achieved without this,” said Dr Hasan. 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the mass displacement of Palestinians known as “the Nakba” or “the Catastrophe”. The UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Nakba at UN Headquarters in New York. For the first time in the history of the UN, this anniversary was commemorated pursuant to the mandate by the General Assembly (A/RES/77/23 of 30 November 2022). The CEIRPP organized a High-Level Special Meeting on 15 May 2023.

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21 March 2023

UN Joint SDG Fund: Transforming Local Authorities’ Budgeting

In efforts to improve accountability and transparency in the budgeting and planning process in local authorities, the United Nations (UN) through the UN Joint Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Fund has been supporting reforms to help local authorities migrate from Activity Based Budgeting (ABB) to the more accountable and transparent Output Based Budgeting (OBB). The OBB allows local authorities to align their budgeting processes and templates with the central government systems. Speaking in an interview, Kitwe City Council, Director Finance, Dedu Sakala Mwense indicated that the council experienced some challenges in the transition from ABB to OBB. He, however, noted that unlike ABB, OBB was speaking to the needs of the council, and this resulted in the welcome of the change by both internal and external stakeholders. “OBB has been our answer to the many budgeting challenges experienced in the past of lack of transparency and accountability. In the new system of OBB, the process is very inclusive of stakeholder participation right from the start, the target for the year is set and stakeholders submit what they would want to be achieved by the end of the financial year,” said Mr. Mwense. “For example, stakeholders from the market facilities last year requested for toilets and shelters, and by the end of the year the council managed to construct 4×3 toilet blocks and shelters at Kitwe’s Chisokone Market. The successful completion of the toilets and market shelters provided an accountability and transparency test for the council in terms of expenditure, quality delivered and timeframe of service delivery”, he added. Josephine Mbewe a salaula (second hand clothes) trader who is one of the many beneficiaries of the newly constructed toilets expressed gratitude, saying that after the construction of the toilets nearby, she no longer worries about leaving her stand for a long time and that the toilets had made conducting business easy because they are located within the market, one does not miss a lot of clients. Furthermore, Lillian Chishinga a beneficiary of the market shelters explained how challenging it was in the past working from the streets especially in the rainy reason because this meant every time it started raining, she needed to pack her goods to avoid damage, resulting in capital loss, which now is a thing of the past because she was allocated a shelter. The UN Joint SDG Fund has trained 104 local authorities out of the existing 116 which has enhanced their capacity in OBB, reaching 91% of the end of year target. Through this enhanced capacity, the local authorities started using OBB for their 2023 budget preparations. To improve local financing and support prudent budget decisions, the programme has supported local authorities with budget analysis, which will lead to the production of the first-ever local authorities budget briefs. In Zambia, the UN Joint SDG Fund initiative is anchored in National Development Plans (NDPs), which are the government’s modalities to delivering national priorities, and at the same time implement the SDGs in the country. The programme is currently developing and operationalising the Integrated National Financing Framework for sustainable development in Zambia, that will improve development financing to ensure that the SDGs are actualized at national and subnational levels. Additionally, the programme also intends to contribute to addressing Zambia’s development planning, and financing challenge: chiefly the data, monitoring and accountability. Herein, the programme intended to enhance capacity-building to significantly increase the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant to Zambia. The Joint SDG Fund is an innovative instrument to incentivize the transformative policy shifts and stimulate the strategic investments required to get the world back on track to meet the SDGs. To date it has funded 200 joint programmes globally focused on integrated social protection or SDG finance, it has stimulated over 1,000+ partnerships working together alongside the UN to support the SDGs and it has tested over 300 innovative solutions to accelerate the 2030 Agenda. The Joint SDG Fund supports the development of financing strategies required for scaled up SDG investment. This work includes strengthening the capacities of the national and sub-national SDG financing architecture and the production of multi-stakeholder financing strategies with the aim of dramatically increasing the scale and improving the focus of SDG investments.

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08 March 2023

Celebrating Musoli Julack Muchima Kashinga, National Project Coordinator, ILO Lusaka

I have passion and this passion has led to commitment to the work that I do. Therefore, the key message to the adolescents is to have a dream to aspire to. To believe in themselves knowing that they can do anything as long as they have the passion for it. It is important to grab hold of every opportunity presented to them, have a mentor in life, embrace working in teams and to work hard! Finally a purposeful life is a balanced life .. have time to work, to reflect and recharge!” - is Musoli Julack Muchima Kashinga, National Project Coordinator As National Project Coordinator, Musoli Kashinga shares that she “enjoys working in the UN in general and in the ILO in particular because [her] work entails that to be truly successful and impactful [she and her colleagues] must ensure that no one is left behind.” She said, “Our work demands that there must be transformation in the lives of those to who are targeted by our various interventions. The ILO’s mandate of advancing social justice and promoting decent work for all embraces inclusion and promotes diversity. Furthermore, innovation is key in responding to the challenges that the world and our country faces.” Musoli is championing the advancement of transformative technology as her “current work involves developing and deploying skills training programmes so that technicians, engineers and managers are capacitated to apply, promote and manage renewable energy, energy efficiency and regional energy integration technologies thus contributing to a more sustainable low carbon energy mix.”

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Press Release

19 May 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Lusaka, 18 May 2023 – The United Nations in Zambia, in partnership with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security and supported by the American Government in Zambia, has launched a Forensic DNA Laboratory under the National Forensic Science and Biometrics Department that will offer the state-of-the-art analysis of DNA evidence in the resolution of sexual and other violent crimes, especially those perpetrated against children, women and other vulnerable groups. Speaking at the launch on 16 May, the UN Resident Representative, Ms Beatrice Mutali said, “the establishment of this DNA Lab is a big and important step in our efforts to decrease the number of genuine cases lost in the judicial system as DNA is a powerful investigative tool. Therefore, strengthening the forensic system in Zambia is a big gamechanger for women and girls who fall victim to sexual offences,” The UN Resident Coordinator underscored that the establishment of this DNA Lab is a big and important step in decreasing the number of genuine cases lost in the judicial system as DNA is a powerful investigative tool. Therefore, strengthening the forensic system in Zambia is a big gamechanger for women and girls who fall victim to sexual offences. The lab, which will be hosted by Levy Mwanawasa Medical University (LMMU), is the missing link in many sexual and gender based violent cases in Zambia. The forensic DNA evidence will annul the major setbacks in obtaining the much-needed justice for survivors of rape and Gender-Based Violence (GBV). With the establishment of the Forensic DNA laboratory, witness and survivor statements regarding the crime will now be corroborated by the DNA evidence. The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Honourable Jack Mwiimbu, who was present at the launch and welcomed the Forensic DNA Lab as a development that has led the Government of the Republic of Zambia to re-commit itself to the national zero tolerance to GBV, “with the opening of the Forensic DNA laboratory, the Government of the Republic of Zambia re-comits itself to the national zero tolerance of GBV and to improve quality access to GBV response services”. The Forensic DNA Laboratory, which is managed by the National Forensic Science and Biometrics Department, will categorize traces, isolate DNA, quantify and multiply DNA, and to profile/analyze the DNA. It is a Lab that expects to prioritize the examination of evidential material from the cases of SGBV, in order to support the investigations and resolution of these cases by the Zambia Police Service. The Forensic DNA Laboratory will also work with the; Zambia Police Service officers, and the medical officers from the Ministry of Health who handle evidential material for DNA analysis, in ensuring that the identification, collection, packaging, storage and transportation of the evidential material attain the acceptable International standards. Already 30 cases have been processed successfully and enabling conclusive investigations. The United States through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their cooperating partner, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), supported the acquisition of the equipment for Forensic DNA analysis valued whilst the United Nations in Zambia with the support of its cooperating partners, contributed to the partitioning of the Laboratory’s office space, procurement and installation of the air-conditioning systems, and the procurement of the first batch of reagents for DNA analysis. Through the GRZ-UN Joint programme on GBV Phase II that involves UNDP, IOM, ILO, UNFPA and UNICEF, the UN in Zambia has been supporting the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security on prevention and response to GBV services. This has been made possible through support from the Governments of Ireland and Sweden. The UN System in Zambia remains committed in the fight against GBV, which has been included as an important theme in our new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2023-2027, to ensure continued work towards the achievement of gender equality as well as elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls ensuring access to justice, in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. ### For more information, please contact: Mark Maseko, National Information Officer United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Lusaka, P: +260-211-386200; E: masekom@un.org

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Press Release

18 April 2023

News Release- UN experts concerned over delay in Zambia’s debt restructuring

“We are worried that despite positive reforms undertaken by the Government of Zambia, the delays in sovereign debt restructuring compromise its ability to mobilise and maximise resources for the full realisation of human rights, as per its obligations under international human rights law,” the experts said. In August 2022, Zambia secured a 38-month Extended Credit Facility of USD 1.3 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). At the end of its first review of this programme on 6 April 2023, the IMF Mission recognised the country’s progress as a result of robust structural fiscal and other reforms. However, continued delays on debt restructuring pose real risks for retrogression, including with respect to the country’s economic transformation agenda and aspirations for a better standard of living for its people. The experts said that while social spending had increased, the economic dividends of sustained reforms and debt relief will go much further in creating the conditions and opportunities on which Zambia’s population can capitalise. As per a 2022 UNDP report, more than 54 low-and middle-income countries are under critical debt distress and need urgent relief. Debt burden and prioritisation of debt servicing leads to austerity driven policies contravening international human rights obligations of States including their right to restructure sovereign debt. The experts urged the Official Creditor Committee for Zambia to aim for and share a concrete timeframe for the conclusion of its deliberations. “One of the major reasons for this delay in debt restructuring is the lack of a globally coordinated multilateral sovereign debt mechanism that places traditional and private lenders at an equal footing,” the experts said. “Despite the proactive steps taken by Zambia, undoubtedly the delay will affect the efficacy of the credit facility programme. There is a window of opportunity in 2023 to enable Zambia and its people to consolidate recent successes and all of Zambia’s partners must step-up,” they said. The experts called for a multilateral sovereign debt mechanism under the UN guided by existing human rights frameworks and principles to ensure a rights-aligned recovery for countries suffering from debt distress and a reduced fiscal space. The experts are in dialogue with relevant stakeholders, including private lenders, concerning the impact of the unsustainable sovereign debt level on the country’s ability to ensure the realisation of human rights of its population. ENDS *The experts: Ms Attiya Waris, Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights; Mr. Saad Alfarargi, Special Rapporteur on the right to development; Mr. Olivier de Schutter, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights For more information and media requests, please contact the mandate of the Independent Expert on Foreign Debt at hrc-ie-foreigndebt@un.org For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts, please contact Maya Derouaz (maya.derouaz@un.org) or Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org) Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts. Concerned about the world we live in? Then STAND UP for someone's rights today. #Standup4humanrights and visit the web page at http://www.standup4humanrights.org

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Press Release

28 February 2023

WHO Zambia releases USD285,000 to support Cholera Response in Eastern Province

Lusaka, 28 February 2023 – The World Health Organization (WHO) in Zambia has released USD285,000 to support the ongoing response to the cholera outbreak in Eastern Province. Since the outbreak was announced by the Minister of Health on January 26, 2023, a total of 191 suspected cases of cholera, including 4 deaths have been reported. As part of the outbreak response, WHO Zambia is working with the Ministry of Health at National, Provincial and District levels, including the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) to rapidly put in in place interventions that will protect people and limit the spread of the outbreak to other districts across the province. “Cholera outbreaks are of great concern to us, and especially that cholera is preventable, and Zambia has the right preventative tools in place. As WHO in Zambia we will continue to support the Ministry of Health in implementing immediate and long-term cholera control, response, and preventive measures. The funds released will help ensure that lives continue to be saved, and a resilient health system is maintained during and beyond the current outbreak," says Dr Nathan Bakyaita, WHO Representative in Zambia. The funds released will allow WHO Zambia and partners to scale up priority response activities to effectively monitor and control the outbreak by: scaling up WHO and national surveillance interventions, providing essential support to laboratories to enhance diagnosis, providing technical assistance to set up adequate cholera treatment centers, training national and district health staff in case definition and management pre-positioning cholera kits and supplies in high-risk areas conducting health education sessions and risk communication and community engagement activities “Eastern Province is uniquely positioned as some of the affected districts border Malawi and Mozambique, which too, have Cholera outbreaks, putting the whole province at high risk. For us to ensure we control and end the outbreak, we need to ensure that integrated critical tools of preparedness, response and prevention are in place. We need to enhance surveillance, care delivery and strengthen coordination and joint response at all levels,” added Dr Bakyaita. Since the declaration of a cholera outbreak in January 2023, WHO has been working closely with the Ministry of Health to support deployment of surge staff and provide logistical support in the affected districts. Note to editor: WHO Zambia in December 2022, donated Cholera Central Reference kits; cholera peripheral kits; cholera community kits; 400 cholera laboratory kits; 500 cholera investigative kits amounting to ZMW 921,545 to support the preparedness and response in hotspot areas. The WHO Zambia team is working with the Ministry of Health and partners to strengthen disease surveillance, provide technical assistance in all the pillars of outbreak response including case management, monitoring of water quality and chlorination of public water supplies, and promote health education and hygiene among affected and at-risk communities. For additional information or to request interviews please contact: Ms Kafusha Kapema Communications Officer WHO Zambia Email: KapemaK@who.int

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Press Release

24 February 2023

United Nations Supports Sustainable Development Efforts in Zambia

The United Nations in Zambia has called for wider stakeholder involvement in ensuring sustainable development and attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Zambia. Speaking at a Joint SDG Fund event in Lusaka on 22 February, UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Beatrice Mutali said that all stakeholders should work towards economic transformation for the benefit of the people of Zambia. Over 150 participants that included representatives of diplomatic missions, Government ministries, private Sector, think tanks, Civil Society and youth attended the event that showcased key results achieved through the Zambia Integrated National Financing Framework for SDGs joint programme, which the UN has implemented since June 2020 to support sustainable development in Zambia. Ms Mutali said this in a speech read on her behalf by International Labour Organization (ILO) Director for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, Mr. George Okutho. “We cannot continue with business as usual in our planning and implementation processes anymore but enhance efficiency and effectiveness of our interventions in addressing challenges to achieve the desired impact to drive the much-needed transformation to improve the lives of the people of Zambia,” Ms Mutali said. Speaking at the same event, Minister of Finance and National Planning Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane appealed for innovative approaches for development financing to ensure progress on the SDGs. In a speech read on his behalf by Permanent Secretary for Planning and Administration, Ms Lois Mulube, Dr Musokotwane said that the Government had put in place several interventions in various sectors to support attainment of the SDGs in Zambia. He also paid tribute to the United Nations for supporting the Government’s development aspirations, as outlined in Zambia’s Vision 2030. “We appreciate the support rendered to the Government by the UN Family through the Fund in supporting budget and expenditure analysis including facilitating stakeholder engagement; a study on implementation of the decentralization policy with a focus on fiscal decentralization; development of sector financing plans including the costing of key programmes; public expenditure reviews of the social protection sector whose findings fed into the development of the sector financing strategies in social protection; and undertaking the 2022 Census of Population and Housing,” Dr Musokotwane said. To promote alternative financing for sustainable development in the country, the UN in Zambia has through five of its agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, ILO and UNECA) supported capacity development of the Government of the Republic of Zambia in planning processes and overcoming existing impediments to financing its national development priorities, including the SDGs. This programme was intended to provide catalytic support to the Government in advancing SDG implementation in the country. Amongst other things, the Fund contributed to the following: Migration of local authorities towards output-based budgeting (OBB) in all 116 districts; Construction of infrastructure such as roads, bridges and toilets through local authorities; Undertaking of the 2022 Census of Population and Housing, and the Living Conditions Monitoring Survey; preparation of the Economic Recovery Plan; COVID-19 Recovery Needs Assessment (CRNA) and other socio-economic assessments of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic; Preparation of the Eight National Development Plan; and Preparation of the Voluntary National Review (VNR) in 2020 and 2023. Other interventions included supporting the Rapid Integrated Assessment (RIA) of the Eighth National Development Plan, preparation of the Development Finance Assessment, National Budget Analyses as well as strengthening the capacity of Parliamentarians and Permanent secretaries in budget analysis. ### For more information, please contact: Mark Maseko, National Information Officer, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Lusaka, P: +260-211-386200; E: masekom@un.org About the Joint SDG Fund The Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDG Fund) is an international multi-donor and multi-agency development mechanism created in 2014 by the United Nations to support sustainable development activities through integrated and multidimensional joint programmes. The joint fund is managed in Zambia through UNDP, UNFPA, ILO, ECA and UNICEF. The UN SDG Fund Joint Programme is expected to develop and operationalise an Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) for sustainable development in Zambia, that will improve development financing to ensure that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensure they are actualized at national and subnational levels in the framework of the Seventh National Development Plan and the plans that follow. Integrated National Financing Frameworks provide a framework for financing national sustainable development priorities and the SDGs at the country level.

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Press Release

07 February 2023

Zambia Police receives funding from the Elsie Initiative Fund to increase women’s participation in United Nations peace operations

The Elsie Initiative Fund for Uniformed Women in Peace Operations (EIF) announced today that the Zambia Police Service (ZPS) will receive funding of USD 932,072 to create a more enabling institutional environment to increase uniformed women’s participation in United Nations (UN) peace operations. Zambia, one of the top 25 highest contributors of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping, was amongst the seven countries that piloted an assessment study in 2020 to identify barriers to women’s participation in UN peace operations, using the Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) methodology developed by the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. Built on findings and recommendations from the 2020 MOWIP study, the ZPS project is designed to address several barriers identified at the strategic and policy levels. The project will address the lack of suitable peace operations accommodation infrastructure for women police officers; additionally, it will aim to strengthen the capacity of women police officers through a number of activities designed to address the lack of available information on deployments, household constraints, and socio-cultural barriers that continue to deter women’s meaningful participation. Specifically, the ZPS project involves the construction of an accommodation facility for women (40 beds) and a daycare center (15 places) to enable women to fully participate in peacekeeping training. In addition, the ZPS project has been designed to foster a more gender-sensitive institutional culture through the development of an Anti-Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) policy and the roll out of SEA training and gender-mainstreaming workshops to senior Zambia Police personnel. Importantly, the ZPS will also train and expand its network of regional focal points to systematically disseminate deployment related information, particularly in rural and remote areas. Upon completion of the project, the ZPS aims to create a roster with over 100 women eligible to deploy as peacekeepers. Over the years, Zambia has made great strides in promoting the rights of women and ensuring their equal participation in peace and security. In 2014, Zambia adopted a revised National Gender Policy and enacted a Gender Equality Act in 2015. Under a bilateral partnership with Canada, Zambia is currently developing a ZPS Gender Policy in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). “My Command appreciates the recognition of female officers as a ‘catalyst of systematic change within the Zambia Police Service. As Command, therefore, we take very seriously our role in driving policy reforms, ensuring gender mainstreaming and accountability for gender equality and women’s empowerment within our institution. I wish to assure you all of our continued commitment to do so” said the Inspector General of Police Lemmy Kajoba. In close partnership with the ZPS, this project will be managed and implemented by UNDP in Zambia. Senior ZPS and UNDP representatives will co-chair the Project Oversight Committee and provide strategic guidance to ensure successful implementation. This project will also leverage existing ZPS Women’s and Men’s Networks and ensure their voices are represented throughout the project cycle. Committed to ensuring the sustainability of these project outcomes, the ZPS has also committed to ensure that gender-related training is institutionalized within the police training curriculum, and to continue to fund, train and prepare police officers, in particular women, for deployment to UN peace operations. *** About the Elsie Initiative Fund (EIF) Established by the UN, Canada, and Member States in 2019, the EIF is an innovative, multilateral fund that aims to accelerate progress towards the UN's gender targets in line with Security Council resolutions and the UN Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy 2018-2028. The EIF, a UN trust fund hosted by UN Women, is funded by contributions from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom. The EIF supports the sustainable deployment and meaningful participation of uniformed women peacekeepers by providing financial assistance and incentives. For more information, please visit https://elsiefund.org/ and follow @ElsieFund on Twitter. Media Contact: Elsie Initiative Fund Shuyu Luo Email: shuyu.luo@unwomen.org

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