LUSAKA, ZAMBIA, 16 June 2026 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) convenes government officials, regional institutions, private sector representatives, development partners, and borderland communities in Lusaka for the Third Community Ground-Truthing Dialogue under the Resilient Trade and Socio-Economic Integration as a Pathway to Peace in the Great Lakes Region (REST-GLR) initiative.

The two-day dialogue focuses on the Lobito–Great Lakes Corridor, a strategic economic corridor linking Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Zambia through the Port of Lobito, the Zambia Copperbelt, and the mineral-rich regions of southern DRC. The corridor is increasingly recognized as one of Africa's most promising platforms for regional integration, trade expansion, industrial development, and job creation.

The Lusaka Dialogue forms part of a broader regional consultation process to shape the REST-GLR programme, a multi-country initiative covering Angola, Burundi, the DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The initiative seeks to support the implementation of the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action for the Great Lakes Region by promoting trade, livelihoods, investment, governance, resilience, and regional cooperation as pathways to peace and stability.

"Peace and stability in the Great Lakes Region will increasingly depend on our ability to unlock economic opportunities, strengthen regional integration, and ensure that borderland communities benefit from growth and development," said Dr. Zeynu Ummer, Director of the UNDP Resilience Hub for Africa. "REST-GLR seeks to transform borderlands from perceived peripheries into engines of prosperity, resilience, and cooperation."

The dialogue will validate development priorities, assess trade and governance dynamics, identify opportunities for SME growth and value addition, and generate evidence to support future investments across the corridor. Particular attention is being given to women traders, youth entrepreneurs, informal economic actors, and displacement-affected populations whose livelihoods depend on cross-border economic activity.

Expected outputs include a corridor diagnostic, a refined theory of change linking trade, livelihoods, investment, and peace outcomes, a prioritized intervention framework, and the identification of scalable and investment-ready opportunities for public and private sector partners.

The outcomes will inform future ministerial consultations and resource mobilization efforts aimed at positioning the Great Lakes Region as a strategic destination for investment, regional integration, and sustainable development.

The dialogue brings together government representatives from Angola, the DRC, and Zambia, alongside regional organizations, development partners, civil society organizations, community leaders, private sector actors, and United Nations entities.

About REST-GLR

The Resilient Trade and Socio-Economic Integration as a Pathway to Peace in the Great Lakes Region (REST-GLR) initiative is a UNDP-led regional programme designed to strengthen peace and stability through trade, investment, livelihoods, governance, resilience, and regional integration. By focusing on borderland economies and cross-border systems, the programme seeks to generate inclusive growth, create jobs, and deliver sustainable peace dividends across the Great Lakes Region.

Media Contact

UNDP Resilience Hub for Africa: Stanley Omambia – Communications Analyst, stanley.mosoti@undp.org

UNDP Zambia: Mercy Khozi – Communications Analyst - Mercy.khozi@undp.org