Social Protection System High on the Agenda: Workshop in Uzbekistan
Thirty experts and officials representing different ministries and agencies involved in social protection implementation, as well representatives of Federation of Trade Unions, and academia participated in a two-day workshop organised on 7-8 November by the ILO (Project “Support to the Implementation of the Decent Work Country Programme in Uzbekistan”) , UNICEF and the World Bank to assess strengths, challenges and the role of social protection in a society in transition.
8 November 2018
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The workshop participants noted that from the Soviet period Uzbekistan had inherited a developed system of social protection based on principles of full employment, universal childcare and guaranteed old age income. Re-designed since, today the system is once again facing the need to re-shape amidst comprehensive economic reforms while preserving access to rights, services and social transfers, both contributory and non-contributory.
Data collected for the workshop show that social insurance programmes financed by employees and employers dominate in the social protection system. They account for 83% of all planned social protection expenditures and for 41% of all beneficiaries in 2018. Non-contributory programmes financed from general budget are important complementary mechanism financing numerous programmes for the most disadvantaged groups.
The purpose of the workshop was to examine in detail the major social protection programmes: social allowances for the low-income families, labour market programmes, pensions and social services for children and disadvantaged groups of population. Participants dived deep into analysis of strengths, weaknesses and gaps of each programme and developed practical ideas for their improvement.
But, as it was noted during the workshop, the performance of these individual programmes depends, in large part, on the coherent system-wide approach to social protection. Absence of a strategic framework and a single institution in charge of social protection policy making coordination were named among factors hampering social protection in playing its role to a full potential.
Data collected and participant’s assessment will be presented in a diagnostic report suggesting key areas for improvement of Uzbekistan’s social protection system’s inclusiveness, adequacy, governance, programme coherence and responsiveness to changing needs of population. In addition, these recommendations will contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 1 and its target 1.3 which refers to the implementation of nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all.