Zambia at a glance
Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The country is a member of both the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It shares borders with eight countries (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe).
We are delighted to present the 2024 UN Zambia Annual Results Report, a reflection on the year’s milestones, challenges, and collective progress towards sustainable development. This is the third report under the 2023-2027 United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF)—a partnership between the UN System and the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Throughout 2024, we collaborated with the government and a wide range of partners, including civil society, academia, youth organizations, and the private sector, to drive progress under the four UNSDCF pillars, which align with the country’s Eight National Development Plan (8NDP) and serve as our guiding framework for impactful action.
To ensure that our efforts stayed aligned with Zambia’s evolving context, we conducted a comprehensive review and update of the 2021 UN Country Common Analysis (CCA), with valuable input from our partners.
Under the Prosperity Pillar, which is aligned with the 8NDP’s focus on Economic Transformation and Job Creation, we contributed to budget analysis, climate-smart food systems, market access, youth empowerment, and sector investment plans, promoting economic transformation and job creation.
Regarding the People Pillar, and in support of the country’s priority area of Human and Social Development priority, we worked to strengthen Zambia’s human capital. We helped to strengthen health systems, introduced a competence-based curriculum integrating digital literacy and climate change, and partnered with the private sector to address skills gaps in critical raw materials. For the Planet Pillar, which mirrors Environmental Sustainability, we supported early warning systems, resilience-building, developing the National Green Growth Strategy (GGS), and stock-taking for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Through the Peace Pillar, that is in line with the Governance and Human Rights, we advanced democracy, women’s representation, electoral reforms, and human rights.
To boost the efficiency and impact of our collective efforts, we enhanced the UN’s Delivering as One (DaO) approach, leveraging the strengths of UN agencies through joint work plans and launching four new joint programmes on SDG localization, youth health, gender-based violence (Spotlight 2.0), and renewable energy adoption. These programmes attracted over $18 million in catalytic funding for expansion and impact.
Despite remarkable progress, 2024 tested Zambia’s resilience. Challenges included a severe cholera outbreak that infected over 23,300 people and resulted in more than 700 deaths. The UN responded swiftly, supporting the government with water and sanitation access, vaccination campaigns, treatment centers, and public health awareness. Within just three months, the outbreak was contained.
Zambia also experienced its worst drought in 50 years, devastating over 50% of agricultural production and leading to a national emergency. In response, we helped activate the cluster coordination system, ensuring a whole-of-system response that addressed immediate needs while building long-term resilience and prevention capacity.
In line with our commitment to inclusion and equity, we made deliberate efforts to ensure persons with disabilities were not left out. We prioritized inclusivity by advancing Disability Inclusion, making key documents accessible in Braille and sign language to increase SDG awareness among persons with disabilities.
These successes were made possible through the leadership of the Government of Zambia and the generous support, both financial and technical, of our donors and development partners. Together, we strengthened Zambia’s social sectors, improved equitable access to essential services, and built resilience against future shocks.
