An assessment of Zambia's legislation in view of a possible ratification of the Social Security Minimum Standards Convention,1952 (No. 102).

The report is part of the International Labour Organization’s efforts to systematically promote the ratification and effective implementation of up-to-date international social security standards for building and maintaining comprehensive, sustainable and rights-based social protection systems.

It has been developed in the framework of the ILO’s global campaign to promote the ratification of the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102), which emanates from the decision adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 109th Session in 2021.

Within the context of the long-lasting collaboration between the Government of Zambia and the ILO, this report has been prepared at the request of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, with a view to verifying whether Zambia would be in a position to ratify Convention No. 102, which is the ILO’s flagship Convention in the field of social security.

Convention No. 102 establishes an internationally accepted definition of social security and is a key tool used by countries to design, implement and reform their social security systems to ensure that they are comprehensive, sustainable and provide adequate benefits.

It defines the nine classic branches of social security —medical care, sickness benefit, unemployment benefit, old-age benefit, employment injury benefit, family benefit, maternity benefit, invalidity benefit and survivors’ benefit— and sets minimum requirements for each branch. This key instrument also establishes common rules of collective organization, financing and management of social security, as well as principles of good governance of the system under the general responsibility of the State, the right to due process and the principle of equality of treatment of non-national residents.

Within this context, the report seeks to assess the extent to which Zambia’s social security legislation and practice give effect to the parameters and principles contained in Convention No. 102 and offers guidance on how to ensure further conformity.

In particular, the analysis examines the provisions applicable to the following five social security branches as set out by the Convention:

• Medical Care (Part II of Convention No. 102)
• Old-age Benefit (Part V of Convention No. 102)
• Employment Injury Benefit (Part VI of Convention No. 102)
• Invalidity Benefit (Part IX of Convention No. 102)
• Survivors’ Benefit (Part X of Convention No. 102)