Building the Capacity of the Government of Zambia to Maximize the Development Potential of the Diaspora

The Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) recognizes the significant contribution of the Zambian diaspora to national development, as reflected in the Seventh National Development Plan, and accordingly formulated a national Diaspora Policy. To effectively and sustainably operationalize the Diaspora Policy, the GRZ has requested for IOM’s technical assistance to establish and promote a diaspora coordination desk within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to provide government leadership, coordinate and implement evidence-based diaspora initiatives. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to improved and strengthened government capacity to mainstream and harness the development potential of the Zambian diaspora for national development. To realize this objective, the project includes three outcomes: the GRZ operates diaspora affairs within a strengthened gender sensitive diaspora institutional, policy and legal framework; the GRZ has and utilizes improved knowledge on the Zambian diaspora and diaspora remittances, including gender dimensions; and    the GRZ has and utilizes improved platforms and mechanisms for continuous communication and engagement with the Zambian diaspora.