Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Ms. Doreen Mwamba, has met with Finland Minister for Social Affairs and Health, Ms. Hanna Sarkkinen, to discuss the two countries’ social protection sectors.

The two Ministers met on the side-lines of the ongoing 61st session of the Commission for Social Development taking place in New York, USA, to see how the two countries can strengthen bilateral relations as well as explore ways of exchanging experiences between Zambia, Finland, and the International Labour Organization (ILO), in social protection systems development.

The Ministers who also discussed expectations for the United Nations (UN) Social Summit proposed for 2025,exchanged views on how existing national social protection systems could be used as channels of support for climate change impacts which have emerged as a major issues threatening economic and social development not only in Zambia, but world over.

And Ms. Mwamba expressed hope and confidence that the relations between Zambia and Finland will continue to be strengthened through increased interaction and cooperation, and affirmed that Zambia stands ready to learn from Finland in addressing challenges of climate change and gender inequalities given the positive strides it has achieved so far.

The Minister also informed Ms. Sarkkinen, that having increased the budgetary allocation for the Social, Cash Transfer programme for the year 2023 amounting to 2.5 Billion Kwacha compared to 18 Million Kwacha in 2022,the Zambian government is implementing social protection programmes that are responsive to climate change induced shocks such as droughts, flash floods and extreme temperatures.

She informed Ms. Sarkkinen that a national policy on climate change of 2015 is under review in order to provide a coordinated response with emerging issues and policy guidance to climate change.

Ms. Mwamba said Programmes like food security pack have main-streamed climate change by having three components such as the wetland cropping, rain fed cropping and the alternative livelihoods meant to minimize the risks that farmer household face.

And Ms. Sarkkinen Appreciated the efforts that Zambia has made in the areas of social protection and pledged her country’s full commitment to collaborate on many social protection programmes for the benefit of the two countries.