Across Malawi, efforts to create jobs and strengthen social protection are coming together through a more connected approach. With support from the Joint SDG Fund and under the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, the Government of Malawi, together with the United Nations and development partners, is linking community-level initiatives, strong government coordination, and policy reform to deliver lasting results.
From youth-led aquaculture in Nkhata Bay to national coordination and labour reform, this integrated model is helping turn opportunity into security.
Youth employment rooted in local leadership
In Nkhata Bay, young people are building livelihoods through the Wamaka Youth for Development Cooperative, which is transforming fish farming into a viable economic pathway. Supported by the Government UN Global Accelerator joint programme on Accelerating Employment Creation and Social Protection through Integrated Agriculture Value Chain Development, the cooperative is rehabilitating six fishponds and training 50 young people in aquaculture and entrepreneurship.
Participants completed business management training delivered by certified officials from the Ministry of Youth, covering enterprise planning, financial management, marketing, and cooperative governance, followed by structured mentorship to support implementation.
Traditional leaders have played a central role by providing land stewardship and mobilising community support, helping anchor the initiative in local governance structures. For cooperative members, the intervention is opening new opportunities across fish production, processing, and local markets, while strengthening skills that extend beyond aquaculture.
Government coordination is driving national momentum
Local progress is reinforced by strong national leadership. In December 2025, the Government of Malawi convened the Second Global Accelerator High Impact Track joint programme Technical Committee Meeting in Lilongwe, bringing together government institutions, the United Nations system, development partners, employers, workers’ organisations, civil society, and the private sector.
After one year of implementation, the programme reported achieving approximately 75-80% of its annual targets. Discussions focused on implementation progress, cross-sector coordination, and validation of the 2026 workplan. The meeting highlighted Malawi’s strong national ownership as a Global Accelerator Pathfinder Country, with ministries leading coordination and accountability in close partnership with the UN.
Development partners reaffirmed their commitment to Malawi’s Global Accelerator National Roadmap, while social partners highlighted concrete contributions to job creation, skills development, and social protection.
Strengthening social protection through workers’ compensation reform
At the policy level, Malawi is advancing reforms to strengthen workers' protection. In Salima, the Ministry of Labour hosted a tripartite technical drafting session to reform the Workers’ Compensation Act of 2000, aligning it with international standards and the country’s new social protection policy.
The reform addresses long-standing challenges, such as delayed compensation and inadequate benefits, by transitioning toward a pooled social insurance model. Government, employers, workers’ representatives, legal experts, and social protection specialists contributed to the process with technical support from the International Labour Organization.
A revised draft Workers’ Compensation Bill has now been prepared for submission to the Ministry of Justice, marking a key step toward a more predictable and sustainable system that protects workers while supporting productivity.
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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.
