UN Reaffirms Support for Zambia's Youth

The United Nations has pledged continued support for Zambia's young people, with its Resident Coordinator using this year's National Youth Indaba to highlight the growing impact of joint empowerment initiatives.

Addressing more than 2,000 delegates at the 2026 gathering, UN Resident Coordinator Beatrice Mutali said National Youth Week offered government and cooperating partners a timely opportunity to reflect on how best to unlock the potential of Zambia's next generation. She noted that over 2,000 young Zambians had already benefited from internship programmes and capacity-building initiatives delivered in partnership with the UN, and called for continued collaboration to build on that momentum.

Lusaka Province Minister Sheal Mulyata used the occasion to commend young people for their refusal to engage in political violence, describing their positive contribution to national life as something no government or partner should ever take for granted.

Zambian UN Youth Ambassador James Muleya pointed to legislative progress as a source of genuine encouragement for young people across the country. He highlighted Bill 7 as a landmark reform that had meaningfully increased youth representation in Parliament, signalling that government was listening and responding to the voices of the next generation.

The indaba forms part of National Youth Week, an annual platform designed to bring young Zambians together to share ideas, raise concerns, and shape the policies that will define their future.