Universal social protection for equitable growth and equitable societies

The event is organized by USP2030 with the support of the Governments of Brazil, Germany, Ireland and Kenya, ILO, UNICEF, World Bank, UNRISD, ESCAP, OHCHR, IPEA, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and OXFAM. It is the opening session of a series of solution sessions designed to discuss the role of social protection to act as a catalyst for maximizing impact across various dimensions of social development and inclusive growth.

Social protection has a direct impact on preventing and reducing poverty, supporting full and productive employment and decent work, and enabling social integration for population groups in vulnerable or marginalized situations, thus contributing to the three pillars of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development. Yet, an estimated 3.8 billion people still lack any form of social protection, with the lowest coverage often where poverty, social exclusion, decent work deficits, and exposure to risks of climate change are highest.

To close the social protection coverage gap and to accelerate progress towards universal social protection, as stipulated in SDG target 1.3, countries need to set realistic short-term targets and measure their progress over time. The Draft Doha Political Declaration and the Compromiso de Sevilla (para 27i) encourages countries to increase social protection coverage by at least 2 percentage points per annum. This target is based on the experience of 42 countries and territories, representing 51 per cent of the global population, that achieved an average growth rate of aggregate social protection coverage at or above 2 percentage points per year between 2015 and 2023. This sets an important precedent to motivate global and country investment and action tailored to national circumstances.

The Draft Doha Political Declaration and the Compromiso de Sevilla also calls on the international community, including through macroeconomic adjustment programmes, to ensure predictable, adequate and uninterrupted funding for social protection and social spending (para 54h). In addition, to have real impact on economic growth, poverty reduction, and social inclusion, social protection systems need to be reliable, inclusive and sustainable and the benefits need to be adequate, accessible, and delivered in ways that ensure equality, non-discrimination and accountability.

The solution session will present concrete actionable and scalable solutions countries have taken to build inclusive social protection systems for all with adequate and comprehensive benefits and sustainable financing.

The discussion will explore the following key questions:

1. How countries have developed and articulated a clear vision and objectives that catalysed public and political support to extend social protection coverage?
2. What approaches have been used to mobilize the necessary financing to sustainably invest in social protection systems?
3. How institutional and governance mechanisms have been strengthened, including the coordination of coherent technical and financial assistance from international partners?
4. What economic and social development impacts were countries able to achieve in terms of reducing poverty, fostering social inclusion and generating access to decent work?

Speakers

• Nomakhosazana Meth, Minister of Employment and Labour from South Africa
• Nada Al-Nashif, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Joseph M. Motari, Principal Secretary, State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen's Affairs, Government of Kenya
• Bouchaib El Griny, Department Head of the Child and Family allowances, Ministry of Finance, Morocco
• Luciana Servo, President, Institute for Applied Economic Research, Brazil
• Annegret Al-Janabi, Deputy Head of Division, United Nations, Germany

Moderators

• Shahra Razavi, Director, Universal Social Protection Department, ILO
• Jamele Rigolini, Senior Advisor for Social Protection and Labor, World Bank

More information on USP2030: here