Zambia Engages in World Bank Global Adaptive Social Protection Forum in Rome

Zambia recently participated in the World Bank’s Global Forum on Adaptive Social Protection, held in Rome, Italy.

The conference brought together social protection administrators from 35 countries, aiming to enhance systems that support vulnerable populations against various shocks, including climate change and economic crises.

The Zambian Government was represented by the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services Permanent Secretary, Ms Angela Kawandami.

Ms Kawandami engaged in discussions on critical areas such as Management Information Systems (MIS) and social registers, which are essential for identifying and tracking vulnerable populations to ensure the effective reach of social protection programs.

During the forum, Ms Kawandami highlighted Zambia’s progress in the social protection sector and addressed the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities.

She emphasised that adaptive social protection systems are crucial for building resilience against climate-induced shocks, ensuring that support mechanisms respond effectively.

Zambia’s active participation in the forum underscored its commitment to strengthening its social protection framework.

The country aims to incorporate lessons from the forum to enhance its capacity to anticipate, mitigate, and respond to various shocks, thereby safeguarding its vulnerable populations against future crises.

World Bank Global Director for Social Protection, Ms Ifftah Sharif, commended Zambia for its notable advancements with the Management Information System and the Zambia Integrated Social Protection Information System (ZISPIS).

These systems have improved targeting, enrolment, payment, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of various social protection programmes.

Ms Sharif expressed hope that this digitisation would result in more people-centric services for beneficiaries, thereby increasing customer satisfaction and improving the overall experience for those who rely on social protection programmes.