The Social Protection Floor
Initiative
The role of the UN and UN agencies in
the initiative
Bob Huber
Chief, Technical Cooperation Unit
Division for Social Policy and Development
UNDESA
The Social Protection Floor Initiative
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Promote nationally-defined strategies
Protect a minimum level of access to essential services and
income security for all
Grounded in international instruments, including the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, ILO Conventions on Social
Security, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Two critical components:
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Services: Ensuring availability, continuity, geographical access
to essential services (water and sanitation, food and adequate
nutrition, health care, education, housing, social services)
Transfers: Providing minimum income and livelihood security
through a set of essential social transfers, in cash and in kind
throughout the life cycle (childhood, working life, retirement),
paying particular attention to vulnerable groups.
The Social Protection Floor Initiative
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United Nations System Chief Executives Board for
Coordination (CEB)/High Level Committee on
Programmes (HLCP) committed to multilateral
action to address the global crisis (April 2009)
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UN system participating organizations: 15
cooperating agencies and IFIs (ADB, FAO, IMF,
OHCHR, UNAIDS, UN Chief Executives Board,
UNDESA, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN
Habitat, the World Bank, WFP and WMO), some
donors (BMZ, DFID, Finland, GTZ) and NGOs
(HELPAGE, Save the Children).
The Social Protection Floor Initiative
Activities undertaken by the UN system:
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Global Advocacy
Training
Conceptual developments
Country developments
The Social Protection Floor Initiative
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Global Advocacy
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Awareness raising and building support
Briefing of various international meetings by ILO,
WHO, UNDESA or UNICEF staff members
Seeking intergovernmental endorsement
Promoting social protection as a tool for
development and poverty eradication
Gaining acceptance as a component of the overall
social development strategy in the UN system.
The Social Protection Floor Initiative
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Training
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Dissemination of the concept to national governments
Rapid training programme for national social policy
planners
Creation of training courses on the Social Protection Floor
in Turin and Santiago de Chile.
Training courses held in November and December 2009.
Next one in November 2010 in Turin
It is hoped to reach about 60 planners from key target
countries in three courses.
The Social Protection Floor Initiative
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Conceptual developments
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A SPF-I manual drafted and adopted at an Interagency
workshop in Turin (13-15 October 2009)
The Manual submitted to the UNDG for dissemination to
UN country teams.
An inter-agency advisory network formed to provide
conceptual inputs to country-based initiatives.
Guidelines for country operations on the strategic
framework for joint UN country operations
Concept of an indicator for the rapid assessment of
national Social Protection Floor coverage is being
developed
The Social Protection Floor Initiative
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Country developments
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Promote Social Protection Floor country-based
activities.
All agencies that receive a request from Government
should take up the initiative and invite other agencies
to join national coalitions.
The UN Resident Coordinators will have a
coordinating role in all country activities.
The SPF Initiative will become a building block of the
UNDAF.
The network and the lead agencies will facilitate
contacts between the different stakeholders and
technical inputs as needed.
The Social Protection Floor Initiative
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Country developments
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Activities underway in Burkina Faso, Maldives,
Mozambique and Nepal. Interest in joining the
Social Protection Floor Initiative confirmed for
Algeria, Botswana, Benin, Cambodia and Togo.
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One or more members of the inter-agency
coalition has started making contacts in 30
additional countries.
The Social Protection Floor Initiative
The way ahead:
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Extending the knowledge base:
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Work on a rapid assessment indicator
Joint paper on “Can developing countries finance a social floor”
15 case studies of SPF country examples compiled in
collaboration with the UN South-South Centre
Interagency Social Protection Floor website
Strengthening national dialogue to encourage citizen, civil
society, and potential beneficiary participation
Intensifying South-South Cooperation
The Social Protection Floor Initiative
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Key challenges
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To keep the topic on the international development agenda
To promote its long-term implementation in UN and
national planning instruments
To convert political energy into concrete outcomes,
particularly at the national level
To ensure and strengthen UN agency coordination
Resources are needed
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To reach out effectively to UN Country Representatives
To develop a longer-term common UN agenda and
strategy;
To develop practical ways of working which support and do
not duplicate ongoing processes.
The Social Protection Floor Initiative
Thank you
Bob Huber
Chief, Technical Cooperation Unit
Division for Social Policy and Development
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
New York
huber@un.org