The Right to Social Security in the Arab Region: Insights from the OHCHR–ILO Factsheet

Achieving the human right to social security is fundamental to the realization of other human rights, including the right to an adequate standard of living (such as food, housing, water and sanitation), education and health and is central to advancing human dignity, social justice, inclusive development, and social cohesion.

International human rights instruments and social security standards provide a widely recognized normative framework guiding States in the progressive realization of the human right to social security, to the maximum of available resources, through national efforts and international cooperation. This includes meeting core obligations to guarantee at least a minimum level of social protection across the life cycle for all, without discrimination, while progressively building more comprehensive, adequate, and sustainable social security systems based on social solidarity and collective financing.

In a context marked by overlapping crises, conflict, economic volatility, climate shocks and persistently high levels of employment informality, the urgency of strengthening universal social protection systems has become more pronounced. The challenges are prominent in the MENA region, where social protection systems remain fragmented, with notable coverage gaps, and where the need to balance extension objectives with fiscal sustainability considerations remains a key concern of policymakers.

The joint OHCHR–ILO factsheet “The Right to Social Security” provides timely and practical guidance on what the right to social security entails in practice, States’ and non-State actors’ obligations, and concrete pathways for implementation. Based on human rights law and international social security standards, the factsheet clarifies how rights-based social protection systems can be designed, financed in a sound manner, and governed effectively, including through inclusive participation and accountability, and with particular attention to vulnerable and marginalized groups.

This episode of the Arab Social Protection Compass webinar series will situate the factsheet’s key messages within the regional social protection discourse, bridge global normative guidance with country level realities, and stimulate dialogue on how the right to social security can be operationalized through integrated social protection approaches in the Arab region.

This episode will examine the following areas/ questions:

• What does it mean in practice to implement a rights-based approach to social protection, and why is it important?
• What are the key institutional and policy conditions needed for the right to social security to be translated from legal recognition into effective and enforceable protection for all?
• What role do social dialogue, participation, and accountability mechanisms play in strengthening rights-based social protection systems?
• What are the current key policy priorities for countries in the MENA region seeking to progressively realize universal, rights-based social protection systems ?
• What does it take to uphold and progressively realize the right to social security in situations of conflict and post-conflict, and why does a rights-based approach matter especially in these fragile contexts?

Agenda

• 14:00 – 14:10| Introduction and welcome 

• 14:10 – 14:30| Presentation: Overview of the OHCHR-ILO Factsheet - Narmeen Mohammed

• 14:30 – 15:10| Panel discussions:

• Raafat Shafeek – Egypt

• Radhiya Almahruqi – Oman

• Ibrahim Abdallah – Lebanon

• 15:10– 15:25| Q&A with the public 

• 15:25 – 15:30| Closing 

Moderator:

• Farah Al Shami, Senior Fellow and Program Director - Social Protection, Arab Reform Initiative

This episode is part of the webinar series "Arab Social Protection Compass: Towards Integrated Approaches for Universal Social Protection", organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and technical support of socialprotection.org. The initiative intends to put a spotlight on reforms and programmes geared towards fostering integration within social protection across the region and beyond, while contributing to stir discussion at the national level. Throughout the series, speakers will delve into both the theoretical underpinnings and practical implementations of specific reforms, aiming to inspire a broad audience of practitioners to replicate or scale up similar interventions.