Transcript PROMOTING AN INTEGRATED SOCIAL PROTECTION FRAMEWORK FOR THE CARIBBEAN Caribbean Development Bank in conjunction with the Department for International Development, the European Commission for Barbados.

PROMOTING AN INTEGRATED
SOCIAL PROTECTION FRAMEWORK
FOR THE CARIBBEAN
Caribbean Development Bank in conjunction with the
Department for International Development, the
European Commission for Barbados and the Eastern
Caribbean, the United Nations Development
Programme and the World Bank
Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development,
Caribbean Community, Georgetown, Guyana. April 27 – 29, 2005
Social Protection – what does it
encompass?
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All interventions from public, private, voluntary organisation and
social networks, to support communities, households, and
individuals, in their efforts to prevent, manage, and overcome a
defined set of risks and vulnerabilities.
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Usually in response to levels of vulnerability, risk and deprivation
deemed unacceptable. It is ‘ ‘welfare’ and ‘relief’, but more … given
the emphasis on liberating human potential and promoting equality of
opportunity. While it incorporates ‘safety nets’, it also recognizes the
importance of acting as a ‘spring board’ and adopting a longer term
developmental approach (investment in capacity building).
It is an aspect of social policy and should be an integral part of
country’s development policy
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Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development,
Caribbean Community, Georgetown, Guyana. April 27 – 29, 2005
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Social Protection Instruments
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Social security systems (social insurance), transfer
programmes (Old age pension, necessitous
grants), and other forms of social assistance,
emergency response initiatives, labor and
employment standards and even informal
strategies to manage risk.
Employment programmes, skills training and
capacity building programmes, etc.
Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development,
Caribbean Community, Georgetown, Guyana. April 27 – 29, 2005
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Rationale for a SP Agenda
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The populations of the region face high levels of
risks and vulnerabilities, linked to individual,
structural and other factors which adversely impact
them and can force them into poverty or keep
them mired in poverty.
Sustained vulnerability also forces households to
engage in behaviour dysfunctional to their long
term interest perpetuating the cycle of deprivation
and poverty.
Developments are in progress that will heighten
vulnerability and increase the demand for SP
Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development,
Caribbean Community, Georgetown, Guyana. April 27 – 29, 2005
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Rationale for a SP Agenda
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Social protection instruments exist, but in many areas these are
not sufficiently strong or effective in protecting households and
communities from exposure to natural, economic, and social
hazards.
General Issues:
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Gaps in the coverage of risks and vulnerabilities
Appropriateness and scope of interventions
Targetting of beneficiaries
Overlapping programmes
Quality of service and accessibility
Effectiveness of instruments
Administrative, planning and implementation capacity
Programme design
Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development,
Caribbean Community, Georgetown, Guyana. April 27 – 29, 2005
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Rationale for a SP Agenda
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Programme specific concerns
• Social Insurance
• Social Assistance
• Transfer/Welfare Programmes
• Labour Market Programmes
• Community based “ Investment Funds
• National Health Insurance
Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development,
Caribbean Community, Georgetown, Guyana. April 27 – 29, 2005
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A Regional SP Agenda – Why?
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Need to be more systematic and proactive
about protecting against risks and
overcoming the vulnerabilities
A social protection framework is needed to:
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reduce the adverse impact of vulnerability on growth and
development strategies
protect the living standards of households and communities, and
promote their capacity to invest in their future
engage international donors in a partnership to ensure aid
effectiveness in social protection
Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development,
Caribbean Community, Georgetown, Guyana. April 27 – 29, 2005
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A Regional SP Agenda – Why?
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The shared commonality in risks and
vulnerabilities across the Region, and the
common issues and concerns which have
been identified suggest that are economies
and synergies to be had from adopting a
regional approach to social protection
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Similarity in main SP instruments deployed
across countries
Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development,
Caribbean Community, Georgetown, Guyana. April 27 – 29, 2005
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A Regional SP Agenda – consisting of what?
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An integrated, effective, and comprehensive social protection system to
act both as a safety net and a springboard
Better targetting to reduce costs and increase the efficiency of delivery of
services.
More effective collaboration and better co-ordination amongst institutions
in social protection interventions within countries and across the Region.
Grounded in the use of data, research and evidence to facilitate design of
programmes, monitoring and evaluation
Donor partnerships in support of a regionally determined SP reform
agenda (to stem the wasteful duplication of progammes, and to exploit
synergies by drawing on the expertise of the different agencies and to
maximise the use of donor resources
Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development,
Caribbean Community, Georgetown, Guyana. April 27 – 29, 2005
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Seven Social Protection
Priorities
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Improve planning on SP issues
Establish a mechanism in each country for sector-wide SP planning
Link social protection plans to country poverty reduction strategy
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Reform social insurance
Focus on achieving long-term financial sustainability,
And expanding coverage to informal and poor workers
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Rationalize and strengthen social
assistance
Better targeting and delivery mechanisms; reduce overlaps and administrative costs; focus on human
capital development “a hand-up rather than hand-out”; prepare for crises (including instituting countercyclical social spending patterns)
Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development,
Caribbean Community, Georgetown, Guyana. April 27 – 29, 2005
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Seven Social Protection
Priorities
Improve ex-ante disaster management
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Develop regional disaster management fund (share risk across countries)
Improve building codes
Review labor market policies
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Support competitiveness, improve safety standards, eliminate child labor, etc.
Reform active labor market programs
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Facilitate informal risk management
Reduce the cost of sending/receiving remittances
Improve data collection, monitoring and
evaluation
Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development,
Caribbean Community, Georgetown, Guyana. April 27 – 29, 2005
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Required Action/
Proposed Next Steps
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Ministers to convene country level Cabinet meetings to share the SP
agenda
Regional line Ministries meeting held to discuss a regional approach
in support of a sustainable national social protection strategy
Promote the integration of SP reform process in social policy
formulation and implementation in the OECS at both national and
regional level
Pilot the integrated SP and Social and Human Development process
in 1 or 2 countries including:
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Rationalise/consolidate mechanisms for social protection;
Strengthen public sector capacity;
Promote efficient/effective targeting of social protection instruments; and
Systematise social protection interventions through the labour market:
social safety nets, pensions.
Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development,
Caribbean Community, Georgetown, Guyana. April 27 – 29, 2005
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Required Action/
Proposed Next Steps
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Accelerating coordination of social statistical capability to
support data analysis and evidence-based policy formulation
(through SPARC)
Putting social protection on the Region’s development agenda,
helping to embed it within the CSME agenda and advocating for
its integration into key country level processes such as poverty
reduction strategy papers and the institutionalization of recent
social policy frameworks
Facilitate the involvement of NGOs and Community Based
Organisations through the institutionalised Council on Civil
Society in effect: “Forward Together” July 11, 2005.
Ensuring that a regional approach to social protection reform is
adopted under the auspices of CARICOM (A Caribbean Plan of
Action for Social Protection).
Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development,
Caribbean Community, Georgetown, Guyana. April 27 – 29, 2005
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