Invitation: Side event at HLPF: “Decade of Action to achieve Universal Social Protection by 2030”

The virtual side event “Decade of Action to achieve Universal Social Protection by 2030” will take place in the framework of the High-level Political Forum.

Date: Monday 12th July 2021, Time: 7:30 – 9am New York, EDT

Please register here: https://socialprotectionorg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_K0jIjxvgTC2pDQqYRiMhgQ

The event will be in English. Live Spanish and French translation will be offered.

The virtual side event is co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Argentina to the United Nations; Ministry of National Development Planning, Indonesia; Global Partnership for Universal Social Protection - USP2030; Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors; Global Call to Action Against Poverty; International Labour Organization; The World Bank; International Network for Social Protection Rights (INSP!R West-Africa); United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD); Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung; Protestant Agency for Diakonie und Development; Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd; Centro de Implementación de Políticas Públicas para la Equidad y el Crecimiento (CIPPEC).

Download the concept note and the invitation (flyer). The speakers bios are here.

AGENDA

Moderator: Dr. Katja Hujo, Senior Research Coordinator, Transformative Social Policy Programme, UNRISD

Session 1: The Contribution of Universal Social Protection to Agenda 2030

• Dr. Shahra Razavi, Director of the Social Protection Department of the International Labour Organisation:

• Dr. Michal Rutkowski, Global Director, Social Protection and Jobs, The World Bank:
  Universal social protection - a key contribution to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda
  (SDG 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 12, 13, 16, 17)

• Dr. Maliki, Director, Poverty Alleviation and Community Empowerment, Ministry of National Development Planning, Indonesia:
  Universal social protection for a resilient recovery and future crisis preparedness

• Roshni K. Niggehalli, Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (WNTA), on behalf of Global Call for Action Against Poverty India:
  Universal social protection – an essential instrument to reduce Inequality (SDG 10)

Q&A / Discussion

Session 2: Partnership for Joint Action

• Uzziel Twagilimana, INSP!R West-Africa, on behalf of the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors:
  The strength of national social dialogue to build universal social protection

• Erika Roffler, Secretary of Social Policy, Ministry of Social Development, Argentina:
  The opportunities of a strong Global Partnership for Universal Social Protection (USP2030)

• Prof. Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights:
  How a Global Fund for Social Protection will enable social protection coverage for those left furthest behind

• Catherine Gigante, Head of Unit, Social Development, Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, Belgium:
  Comments and reactions on a Global Fund for Social Protection

Q&A / Discussion

Wrap up and Conclusion: Towards universal social protection by 2030

• Summary of main messages and recommendations
• Invitation to join Partnership and to live up to Agenda 2030 commitment to achieve universal social protection coverage by 2030.

CONCEPT NOTE

Social protection is essential to achieve the 2030 Agenda. Social protection is not only a universal human right, investing in social protection also brings high social and economic returns. However, half the world’s population currently does not have access to any social protection, with coverage remaining particularly limited in most low-income countries. Those who tend to lack access to essential services and basic income guarantees, according to ILO Recommendation 202 on Social Protection Floors, include workers in the informal economy, marginalized children, people with disabilities, older women and men, refugees and migrants, and homeless persons.

We are entering the decade of action to achieve Agenda 2030 under extremely difficult circumstances. Global commitment to SDG 1 “to achieve substantial (social protection) coverage of the poor and the vulnerable by 2030” (Target 1.3) has become the highest priority to end poverty in all its forms, everywhere. Without concomitant commitment to joint action SDG 1 target 1.3 will fail.

The HLPF 2021 reviews global and national progress in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It also considers the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has already exposed the depth and breadth of social and economic inequalities and is set to push up to 150 million people into extreme poverty1, and 150 million children into multidimensional poverty2. Governments have responded to Covid-19 by introducing or scaling up social protection measures to ameliorate the impact of job losses, impoverishment and the increase of inequalities in their countries. Countries with established social protection systems have shown themselves to be in a much better position to cope with the social and economic fallout of Covid-19, to respond faster, more effectively and more efficiently than countries who have had to introduce new schemes on an ad hoc emergency basis.

Covid-19 has focussed minds on the importance of social protection guarantees to health and income, enabling access to education, food and housing. The positive impact of social protection on long-term poverty and inequality has been demonstrated. Many countries are realizing the need for and the long-term benefits of universal, comprehensive and adequate social protection, based on sustainable and equitable financing, tripartite administration and anchored in law.

We invite you to a 90-minute side event at the HLPF 2021 with speakers from governments, the United Nations, the World Bank and civil society. We will discuss why universal social protection is critical to the success of the 2030 Agenda, how social protection can prevent long-term poverty traps as a result of the ongoing crisis, how it will underpin resilient recovery and contribute to future crisis preparedness and how it will reduce inequalities. The event will explore the role of national social dialogue and the global partnership for universal social protection and propose a global mechanism to support countries to create comprehensive systems, to collect necessary data and to mobilize finance to ensure universal coverage of the social protection floor.

Conclusions and recommendations will feed into the ongoing work of the High-level Political Forum 2021 and the work of the sponsoring partners.

Notes: