The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in partnership with the United Nations and the World Bank, has launched a joint programme on 18 March 2026 to strengthen social protection systems and expand access to decent work, with a focus on young people, women, and vulnerable populations.
Funded by the Joint SDG Fund, the programme aims to build stronger linkages between contributory and non-contributory social protection systems, expand coverage, and strengthen skills development and employment policies. It will support people facing vulnerability to access more stable, productive, and sustainable economic opportunities.
The initiative aligns with the Government’s priorities on job creation, human capital development, and poverty reduction under the National Strategic Development Plan (2024–2028), and marks an important step in advancing the country’s engagement under the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions. The Democratic Republic of the Congo became a Global Accelerator Pathfinder Country in April 2024, prioritizing social protection, skills development, and youth employment as key entry points for accelerating progress.
Speaking at the launch, H.E. Guylain Nyembo Mbwizya, Minister of State for Planning and Development Coordination, highlighted the importance of the programme:
“This initiative marks an important step forward. It strengthens the Government’s efforts to promote inclusive growth, support necessary economic transitions, and create more opportunities for our youth.”
Despite progress, structural challenges remain. Around 86 per cent of employment in the country is informal, while only 5 per cent of the population has access to social protection—primarily those in the formal sector. In this context, young people, women, and vulnerable groups continue to face significant barriers in accessing relevant skills, adequate protection mechanisms, and sustainable economic opportunities. The programme also contributes to addressing informality and advancing systemic reforms across employment and social protection systems.
Led by the Ministry of Planning and Development Aid Coordination and coordinated by the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office, the joint programme is implemented with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF, and the World Bank. Through complementary actions, partners will strengthen employability, expand access to economic opportunities, and extend social protection coverage.
At its core, the programme places people at the centre. It will directly benefit 1,500 young people—at least 40 per cent of whom are women—through an integrated pilot combining skills training, entrepreneurship support, and access to social security. At the same time, it will strengthen national institutions and improve coordination across social protection, skills development, and employment systems to enable sustainable impact at scale.
Through this initiative, the Government reaffirms its commitment to working in partnership with national and international actors to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
On behalf of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ms. Nteba Soumano, Director of the ILO Office in the country, reiterated the UN’s commitment:
“The United Nations system remains fully committed to supporting the Government in ensuring better coordination among partners and reducing fragmentation across employment and social protection systems.”
Originally published by ILO.
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds, and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
