IRAZ-International Relations Association of Zambia

19/09/2026

19/09/2026

PRESIDENT HICHILEMA PLEDGES STRONGER UN PARTNERSHIP TO ADVANCE GROWTH, HEALTH AND PUBLIC WELL-BEING

THE PRESIDENT, WRITES:

Fellow citizens,

Earlier today (Friday 18 September, 2026) at State House, we bid farewell to Ms Beatrice Mutali, the outgoing United Nations Resident Coordinator, who concluded her tour of duty at the end of August 2026.

During our meeting, Ms Mutali reflected on the successes we have achieved together and called for continued partnership for the greater good of all.

Zambia will continue to work closely with the United Nations in key areas, including social and economic development, health, and the general well-being of our people.

We thank Ms Mutali for her dedicated service to our country and wish her every success and God's blessings in her future assignments.

May God bless Zambia.

Hakainde Hichilema
President of the Republic of Zambia

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WE ARE ENCOURAGED BY THE PRESIDENT’S FOCUS ON GROWTH AND ACCOUNTABILITY BEING AT THE CENTER OF DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS - The direction set by our Republican President Mr. HAKAINDE HICHILEMA reinforces an important principle of our national development agenda regarding the need for Zambia’s partnerships to increasingly be judged by the growth they support, the opportunities they create, and the measurable improvements they deliver in the lives of our people.

From a Treasury perspective, we are particularly inspired by the PRESIDENT’S emphasis on continued cooperation with the United Nations in advancing social and economic development, health and the general well-being of our citizens.

Indeed, development partnerships are most effective when they reinforce national priorities and translate resources into tangible results. It is not contestable that they should help expand economic opportunity, strengthen human capital, improve health and education outcomes, raise productivity, protect vulnerable households, and strengthen the institutions through which the Government delivers services.

For the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, this places growth and accountability at the center of development cooperation.

As Zambia moves from economic stabilization toward accelerated growth, our partnerships are expected to increasingly support investment, production, productivity, exports, employment and stronger domestic economic capacity.

Development cooperation is also expected to complement, rather than substitute, Zambia’s own responsibility to mobilize domestic resources efficiently, manage public finances prudently, and build a more productive and resilient economy.

Accountability is equally important so that every ngwee of public resources and every unit of development assistance connects to clear priorities, efficiently deployed and capable of producing demonstrable results.

Citizens, cooperating partners and investors should be able to see the development outcomes associated with the committed resources. It is for this reason that sound macroeconomic management, fiscal discipline, and effective development financing remains essential, but not ends in themselves.

Their purpose is to create an environment in which businesses confidently invest and expand, citizens access productive opportunities, families earn better incomes and communities benefit from improved public services.

The PRESIDENT’S direction therefore speaks to the kind of development partnership Zambia requires in this next phase: partnerships built around growth, shared responsibility, accountability and results.

We join President Hichilema in valuing the contribution made by Ms BEATRICE MUTALI during her tour of duty and the wider partnership between the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the United Nations system.

Our task now is to deepen that cooperation around measurable outcomes anchored on stronger institutions, greater investment, higher productivity, more economic opportunities, improved livelihoods and sustainable development that is increasingly financed, owned and driven by Zambia itself.

19/09/2026

Fellow diplomats, the European Parliament has raised concerns about Zambia's post-election environment. As diplomats, how should we advise the government to handle this?

19/09/2026

DIPLOMACY AS AN ENGINE FOR THE GROW ZAMBIA AGENDA

By Mr. Gift Mulenga

In today’s interconnected world, diplomacy is no longer limited to political relations, protocol and representation. It is also an instrument for promoting trade, attracting investment, expanding tourism, facilitating technology transfer and building international partnerships.

For Zambia, diplomacy can therefore play an important role in advancing the Grow Zambia agenda by connecting the country to global markets, capital, expertise and opportunities.

Zambia’s embassies and high commissions are strategically located in countries with significant financial resources, technology, markets and business networks. They have access to governments, multinational companies, investors, financial institutions and the Zambian diaspora. This network provides an important platform for promoting Zambia’s economic interests.

INVESTMENT DIPLOMACY

The launch of the Invest in Zambia International Conference (IZIC) in July 2025 demonstrated the potential of investment diplomacy. The conference attracted investors and stakeholders from sectors including mining, energy, agriculture and tourism and generated more than US$2 billion in investment commitments.

However, investment promotion should not end with an event in Lusaka. The opportunities generated through such platforms require continuous engagement and follow-up.

Zambian diplomatic missions can support this process by identifying potential investors, organising business engagements, promoting investment opportunities and connecting Zambian businesses with international partners.

The U.S.–Zambia Investment and Innovation Roadshow is an example of this approach. The Zambian Embassy in Washington, D.C. engaged stakeholders across California, Georgia and Texas, bringing together American businesses, government representatives and Zambian diaspora communities.

Such initiatives show how diplomacy can help create practical investment opportunities for Zambia.

PROMOTING TRADE AND ZAMBIAN PRODUCTS

Economic diplomacy should also help Zambian businesses access international markets.

Diplomatic missions can identify potential markets for agricultural products, manufactured goods, minerals and creative products while connecting Zambian companies with foreign buyers, distributors and business associations.

This means diplomacy can contribute both to attracting investment into Zambia and creating opportunities for Zambian businesses abroad.

TOURISM AND ZAMBIA’S GLOBAL BRAND

Diplomacy can also promote Zambia as a tourism and investment destination.

Zambia’s tourism assets, including Victoria Falls, national parks, wildlife and cultural heritage, can be promoted through diplomatic missions alongside opportunities in agriculture, energy, manufacturing, mining and technology.

Investment and tourism events organised through missions abroad could bring together investors, tourism operators, financial institutions, businesses and the diaspora, presenting Zambia as a country with opportunities across multiple sectors.

FROM IZIC TO CONTINUOUS ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY

IZIC should be viewed not simply as an annual conference but as a platform for continuous investment engagement.

Diplomatic missions can follow up with potential investors, maintain relationships with prospective partners, organise sector-specific meetings and consistently communicate Zambia’s investment opportunities.

The focus should also be on investments that contribute to long-term economic development through job creation, skills and technology transfer, local supply chains and increased exports.

THE DIASPORA AS AN ECONOMIC RESOURCE

The Zambian diaspora is another important resource for economic diplomacy. Zambians living abroad possess professional expertise, capital and networks that can help connect Zambia to international opportunities.

Diplomatic missions can strengthen these connections by engaging diaspora professionals and entrepreneurs and linking them to investment and business opportunities in Zambia.

GROWING ZAMBIA THROUGH STRATEGIC DIPLOMACY

The Grow Zambia agenda requires cooperation between government, businesses, investors, citizens and international partners. Diplomacy can help bring these actors together.

Zambia’s diplomatic network should therefore be used strategically to promote investment, expand exports, attract tourists, facilitate technology partnerships and strengthen international economic relationships.

The Grow Zambia agenda should not only be promoted in Lusaka. It should also be taken to Washington, London, Beijing, New Delhi, Tokyo, Canberra, Johannesburg and other strategic locations where Zambia has diplomatic representation.

The question is simple:

How can every diplomatic mission contribute to growing Zambia?

When diplomacy is connected to investment, trade, tourism, technology and international partnerships, Zambia’s presence abroad becomes more than representation.

It becomes a bridge between Zambia and the opportunities of the global economy.

14/09/2026

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh, will undertake an official visit to Zambia from 14 to 19 September.

Across the country, the visit will celebrate the people and partnerships that shape the long-standing relationship between the United Kingdom and Zambia, a relationship rooted in mutual respect and shared ambition.



Photo credit : Millie Pilkington / Bagshot Park

12/09/2026

At the Round Table on Regional Governance and Multilateralism, convened during the recently concluded Asia-Pacific Civil Society Conference, Ms. Rosemary Nsepe delivered a presentation centred on four key questions: the main opportunities and challenges for cooperation between the Global South and the Asia-Pacific; new pathways for multilateral cooperation; how cooperation can become more practical, inclusive, and sustainable; and the future of the Global South and Asia-Pacific Cooperation .

Her remarks offered valuable perspectives on the evolving landscape of regional governance and multilateral engagement.

Watch the full video below.

12/09/2026

The International Relations Association of Zambia participated in the recently concluded Asia-Pacific Civil Society Conference, held in Shandong Province, China. The conference was convened under the theme "Reaffirming Commitment to Cooperation, Pooling Civil Society Strength, and Jointly Building an Asia-Pacific Community." Hosted by the China NGO Network for International Exchanges and the Shandong Provincial People's Government, the event brought together over 300 delegates from the Asia-Pacific region and the Global South.

We extend our gratitude to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China for facilitating this engagement and for deepening the friendship between foreign civil society organizations committed to strengthening international exchanges and collaboration at the people-to-people level.

29/08/2026

29/08/2026

The President’s inauguration is just days away. Should the UPND Government retain Economic Diplomacy, Peace, Security, and Stability as the core pillars of its Foreign Policy?