Zambia has held its First National Conference on Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID) which is coming to a close today, marking a historic milestone in the country’s journey towards building an inclusive society where no one is left behind.
The two-day conference brought together Government ministries, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), cooperating partners, and civil society to strengthen collaboration and scale up inclusive development across communities.
Speaking during the official opening, ZAPD Director General, Mr. Frankson Musukwa, described the conference as “a historic milestone in the nation’s collective journey toward building a society where every person has an equal opportunity to participate fully in the life of their community.”
He highlighted the progress Zambia has made through key policies such as the Persons with Disabilities Act No. 6 of 2012, the Local Government Act No. 2 of 2019, and the Constituency Development Fund Act No. 1 of 2024, while acknowledging persistent challenges at community level, including stigma, limited resources, and coordination gaps.
“This conference provides a timely platform to bridge policy and practice, and to translate commitments into concrete community action,” Mr. Musukwa said.
And in her remarks, Ms. Caroline Cheelo, Country Director for the Norwegian Association of Disabled (NAD), commended Zambia for its leadership in advancing the CBID approach.
“The success of CBID depends on strong collaboration between government, OPDs, and communities themselves,” Ms. Cheelo said. “NAD remains committed to supporting Zambia in building inclusive communities where no one is left behind.”
The conference also recognised the invaluable contributions of partners including Cheshire Homes Society of Zambia, Christian Blind Mission (CBM), Sightsavers, World Vision, DAPP, and others for their technical and financial support in championing the CBID approach.
As the conference concludes, participants have reaffirmed their collective commitment to advancing inclusion and empowerment for persons with disabilities at community level.
“Inclusion is not a favour, it is a right,” Mr. Musukwa emphasised. “Let us champion Community-Based Inclusive Development not just as a policy agenda, but as a shared national vision.”