Universal Social Protection to Leave No One Behind: Strengthening Systems and Capacities in Malawi, Mozambique, Viet Nam and Zambia

In Malawi, Mozambique, Viet Nam and Zambia, most remain without access to social protection. Limited fiscal space, fragmented governance, and capacity gaps prevent countries from ensuring income security and adequate benefits, leaving millions vulnerable to poverty and inequality. This project strengthens the requisite legal and policy frameworks, programmatic content and governance, and stakeholder capacities to strengthen and deliver inclusive and sustainable social protection systems. It aims to extend coverage to excluded groups, including workers in the informal economy, enhance and digitize social protection administrations, and increase the responsiveness of social protection systems to shocks and emerging needs in line with international labour standards. It also seeks to further develop and transfer knowledge within the sub-region and beyond through a dedicated learning component with the TRANFORM initiative at its core. The project serves as a bridge between the second (2021-2026) and third (2026-2030) phases of the ILO’s Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All (Flagship Programme), with links to the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, by consolidating the achievements made in previous phases and by laying the foundations for country-specific transition agendas that can be deepened in the next phase of support.

Project symbol

GLO/25/33/IRL

Admin unit

SOCPRO
CO-Lusaka
CO-Luanda
CO-Hanoi

Start date

10/11/2025

End date

31/12/2026

Total allocation

1716934

Total expenditure

Status

Active

595484

Development Partners

Ireland, Irish Aid

Country/Countries

Global
Africa - regional
Mozambique
Malawi
Zambia
Viet Nam

Outcomes

Outcome 7: Universal social protection