Noticias
Capacity building and tripartite validation workshop held in Livingstone, Zambia
From 17th to 21st March, the International Labour Organization (ILO) conducted a series of bilateral meetings with the Government of Zambia, followed by a capacity-building seminar on international social security standards. The week culminated in a tripartite validation workshop where key stakeholders reviewed and validated the preliminary findings of a report assessing the compatibility of Zambia's social security legislation and practice with the requirements of the flagship international social security standard: Convention No. 102.
The workshops featured active participation from a broad spectrum of key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Labour & Social Security (MLSS), Ministry of Health, National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA), National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA), and Workers Compensation Fund Control Board (WCFCB). Employer representatives from the Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) and United Federation of Employers in Zambia (UFEZ), as well as worker representatives from the Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia (FFTUZ) and Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), were also present. Civil society organizations such as Save the Children International, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung - Zambia, Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR), and Jesuits Centre for Theological Research (JCTR) contributed to the discussions.
During the tripartite validation workshop, the social partners and representatives of civil society organizations endorsed the preliminary findings of the report and reaffirmed their commitment to prioritizing the ratification of Convention No. 102. They emphasised the critical importance of ratifying and implementing this international standard to ensure that national social protection systems progressively provide comprehensive and adequate protection and attains the objective of universal coverage.
The report has been prepared within the framework of the ILO's global campaign to promote the ratification of the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102). The campaign stems from the decision taken by the International Labour Conference at its 109th Session in 2021. The report is part of the ILO's efforts to systematically promote the ratification and effective implementation of updated ILO standards on social security and responds to a technical request made by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of Zambia.
Convention No. 102 is the flagship Convention of the ILO in the field of social security, setting the international benchmark for developing rights-based social protection systems and realizing the human right to social security. It serves as a key tool for countries to guide reforms leading to the establishment and implementation of comprehensive social security systems at the national level and acts as a reference at regional and international levels. Convention No. 102 envisages social security as being provided through an integrated, comprehensive, and coherent system that meets minimum requirements for the protection of the population against life risks or contingencies and applies core principles of good governance.
We, the United Federation of Employers in Zambia (UFEZ) are calling upon Tripartite Plus stakeholders to support the ratification of Convention No. 102. UFEZ believes that all persons have the right to social protection...
Humphrey Monde, PresidentUnited Federation of Employers in Zambia
The Convention outlines nine fundamental branches of social security: medical care, sickness, unemployment, old age, employment injury benefits, family benefits, maternity, invalidity, and survivors' benefits. As such, Convention No. 102 serves as a crucial framework for guiding future social security reforms in Zambia. It supports efforts to extend coverage, reduce fragmentation, and ensure the adequacy of benefits while securing the sustainability of the schemes.
For queries, please contact:
ILO: carmona@ilo.org and stern-plaza@ilo.org
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