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Social Policy (Basic Aims and Standards) Convention, 1962 (No. 117) - Zambia (RATIFICATION: 1964)

Parts I and II of the Convention. Improvement of standards of living. The Committee notes the Government’s report received in September 2013 which includes information in reply to its 2012 direct request. The Government indicates that the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP) for the period 2011–15 contains programmes that have been identified as critical to achieve the overall objectives of the plan. The SNDP focuses on policies, strategies and programmes that will contribute significantly to addressing the challenges of realizing broad-based pro-poor growth, employment creation and human development, as outlined in the Vision 2030 and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Results achieved can be evidenced through developmental projects, such as infrastructure, rural and human development. In the case of rural development, focus has been placed on stimulating agriculture productivity and promoting agro-business. Access to health services, especially in rural areas, has been enhanced due to the establishment of mobile clinics strategically posted throughout the country. In reply to the previous comments, the Government indicates that, while extreme poverty has decreased from 58 per cent in 1991 to 42.3 per cent in 2010, Zambia is still far from reaching the MDG of 29 per cent by 2015. The depth of poverty in urban areas has diminished, nonetheless, the rural provinces of Luapula, Western, Eastern and Northern remain very distant from their goals. The Committee notes that special attention to these growing disparities is placed high on the Government’s policy agenda with special emphasis on infrastructure development and job creation. Moreover, the Government indicates that HIV incidence has stabilized in Zambia, yet the absolute number of new HIV infections is increasing due to the growing population. The Government further states that the steady increase in the number of people accessing Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT), from 511,266 in 2008 to 1,772,043 in 2011, is encouraging. Zambia is likely to achieve the 2015 target for the HIV prevalence rate, as it fell to 14.3 per cent in 2007. Although the national MDG target has been met, this masks great difference in HIV prevalence rates amongst provinces, such as Lusaka, Copperbelt and Central, which are all above 15.6 per cent. The Committee invites the Government to provide in its next report updated information on the impact of the SNDP and other plans and programmes adopted with regard to economic development policy, improving the national standard of living and poverty reduction (Article 2 of the Convention). It also invites the Government to continue to provide information on the effect of social policy on the level of poverty, HIV/AIDS incidence and their respective increase or decline.

Part III. Migrant workers. The Government indicates that policies and programmes adopted, such as the SNDP, are all inclusive and non-discriminatory. As such, the benefits are enjoyed by all workers, both local and foreign. The Committee invites the Government to provide more detailed information on the impact of the policies and programmes adopted on improving the terms and conditions of employment of migrant workers (Articles 6–9 and 14(3) of the Convention).

Part VI. Education and training. The Government previously indicated that there had been a steady growth in total enrolments in the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TEVET) system. Nevertheless, the services offered by the TEVET system still did not satisfy the high demand for those services. The Government indicates in its report that it will provide further information on this issue in due course. The Committee refers to its comments on the application of the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), in which it noted that a new education curriculum will be implemented in January 2014. It invites the Government to provide in its next report on Convention No. 117 information on the impact of its new education curriculum on education, vocational training and apprenticeship, as part of a social policy in line with Articles 15 and 16 of the Convention.