Zambia

Zambia has been one of the main recipients of Norwegian bilateral assistance since 1967.

In 2010 Norway's support to Zambia amounted to approximately NOK 310 million. The main objective of the development cooperation is to help reduce poverty. The collaboration builds on the priorities of Zambia's National Development Plan. Norway's focus areas are part of a larger effort shared by the donor countries, and prepared in consultation with the Zambian authorities.

The Norwegian focus:

• Good governance, taxation, anti-corruption and gender equality
• Natural resource management with a focus on climate-adapted agriculture
• Budget support

Tax for Development

Norway has launched the Tax for Development programme and cooperates with the Inland Revenue authorities in Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania. Increased tax revenues make it easier to finance local development without being dependent on foreign aid. The Government of Zambia has promised to spend the extra hundred millions received in taxes from international mining companies operating in the country to improve the country's roads and railways after Norway has contributed to improving the tax regime.

As part of the cooperation on good governance, Norway supports Zambia's Auditor General and has done so since 1997, in part through institutional cooperation with the Norwegian Auditor General. The number of authorised public accountants has grown from a handful to over 70, and all the country's nine provinces now have their own offices. The Norad Results Report for 2010 shows that regular audits of the administration cover about 70 per cent of public spending – compared to 20-30 per cent before 2003.

The collaboration has shown that a long perspective, often more than ten years, is necessary to achieve results. Today Zambia's Auditor General assists in counselling through institutional cooperation with Liberia.

Anti-corruption efforts are also central in the cooperation between Zambia and Norway, and the Embassy supports the establishment of a Financial Intelligence Centre, which will investigate suspicious movements of capital.

Budget support has contributed to reduced strain on the Zambian administration and a more coherent and efficient management of the national budget.

Climate-adapted agriculture

Zambia's agricultural productivity is low. But climate-adapted agriculture, also known as conservation agriculture, contributes to a gradual increase of productivity. The cultivation methods make the agriculture more resilient in the event of droughts and floods and provide better utilisation of available fertiliser. For many rural households, available manpower is an important factor in increased productivity, and thus it is also a great advantage that soil cultivation can be undertaken during the dry season as is the case with a more climate-adapted agriculture.

Norway has supported the development of climate-adapted agriculture in Zambia for twelve years, in collaboration with the national farmers' organisation, local farmers and the private sector. The agriculture and environment ministers of COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) have agreed on an objective where 1.2 million farmers in the region will have access to this technology by 2012. The programme is part of the implementation of the African action plan for agriculture, CAADP (the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Programme) under the African Union.

The fight against poachers

Zambia also has abundant natural resources in all the country's national parks. A Norwegian supported programme has turned poachers into farmers in South Luangwa National Park. Kafue National Park has also received support. The parks have great potential for tourism and economic development, and emphasis is also placed on supporting the local communities surrounding the parks, partly to reduce any need for poaching in order to provide for a family.

Gender equality

Zambia has a long way to go to improve the situation of women and achieving gender equality in society. Women make up more than 50 per cent of the population, but are still almost invisible in decision-making in all levels of society. Although the constitution prohibits gender discrimination, it allows the use of traditional customary law in cases dealing with marriage, divorce and inheritance. Norway is one of the largest contributors in the field of gender equality and has a long-term cooperation with NGOCC, a member-based network of more than 80 organisations working to ensure women's rights in Zambia. Since 2008 Norway has supported a national programme aimed at women and gender equality through the United Nations Development Programme.

A campaign was launched through Norwegian Church Aid to involve church communities in combating gender-based violence. This resulted in the introduction of a position paper on gender-based violence, prepared by three church communities in 2009.

Income-generating activities and the fight against HIV and AIDS are central in the effort to achieve a more equal society.

Mine clearance

In 2009 Zambia could officially declare itself mine-free. This was the result of a nationwide survey by the Norwegian People's Aid, partly funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Efforts to clean up the remaining unexploded ammunition have continued in 2010. Land mines and abandoned ordnance are the result of the liberation struggle in southern Africa where units from neighbouring countries operated in Zambian territory. Zambia is an important partner for Norway in Africa in work relating to the Mine Ban Convention and Convention on Cluster Munitions.