UNICEF Social Protection Work an overview Show and Tell on Social Protection Geneva, 12 May 2010 Isabel Ortiz, Gordon Alexander, Gabriele Koehler

 Technical & policy support at country level  Applied and policy research  Partnerships at global and national level  International advocacy Key areas of UNICEF social protection work

UNICEF work in Social Protection: 124 programmes in 76 countries

 Informed by child poverty and vulnerability studies  Support government development of national social protection systems  Supporting national dialogue on policy priorities and options  Support to design, scale-up, execute and monitor cash and non-cash transfers  Access to services, e.g. removal of education user fees  Strengthening social protection systems & capacity, including social welfare services  Strong programmatic links to child protection and HIV/AIDS Technical Support at country level

Partnerships  UN Social Protection Floor Initiative o a minimum level of access to essential services and income security for all - in the present economic and financial crisis and beyond  HelpAge International, Save the Children  IDS, EPRI, University of Maastricht – training Key advocacy areas  Expansion of social protection coverage  Promoting social protection which better addresses the needs of children and women (Joint Statement on Advancing Child- Sensitive Social Protection)  Protecting social protection and social spending within context of continued crisis shocks – Recovery with a Human Face Partnerships & International advocacy

Principles of child sensitive social protection 1.Avoid adverse impacts on children, and reduce or mitigate social and economic risks affect children 2.Intervene as early as possible where children are at risk 3.Consider the age and gender specific risks and vulnerabilities of children 4.Mitigate the effects of shocks, exclusion and poverty on families 5.Make special provision to reach children who are particularly vulnerable and excluded 6.Consider intra-household dynamics, with particular attention paid to the balance of power between men and women 7.Include the voices and opinions of children, their caregivers and youth in the understanding and design

Fiscal Stimulus Plans Q Q3 2009, %GDP  As an average, 25% of stimulus plans spent on social support (UNDP, 2009)  Mostly in high and middle income economies  Positive development, social protection expanded during crisis

Sub Saharan Africa key activities and challenges Context: – Continuing explosion of social protection activities in region Cash transfers National strategies – HIV/AIDS – Proliferation of mapping, stock taking, events What has been our regional focus: – Strong emphasis on social cash transfers and national strategies – Technical assistance Policy, advocacy, program design and implementation – Regional learning and sharing of experiences – Rigorous impact evaluation Regional project – 9 country Children and AIDS regional initiative (CARI) Social protection, HIV/AIDS, and OVC

Sub Saharan Africa: Examples social cash transfer programs with government support Old age pensionsChild grantsPov/community based targeting Combo Lesotho (80,000) Namibia (108,000) Malawi (24,000 hhs and scaling up) Rwanda (25,000 hhs and scaling up) South Africa (4 million) South Africa (8 million) Zambia (8,000 hhs; scale up to 22,000) Ethiopia (PNSP 1.6 million hhs; BOLSA 8000) Namibia (115,000) Zambia (will scale up to 33,000 hhs) Zimbabwe (2,800 hhs in pilot) Pilots on the way Botswana (91,000) OVC /community based targeting Tanzania (2,000 hhs in pilot) Madagascar (10,000 hhs planned) Swaziland (60,000) Kenya OVC (70,000 hhs; scaling up to 125,000) Kenya Hunger (scaling up to 60,000 hhs) Angola (pilot under discussion) Zambia (4,500 hhs in pilot) Lesotho (1,000 hhs in pilot; scale up to 10,000) Mozambique (170,000 hhs) Uganda (pilot approved)

Sub Saharan Africa: UNICEF role in social cash transfer programs Old age pensions Child grantsPov/community based targeting Combo LesothoNamibia Evaluation Malawi Implementation, impact evaluation Rwanda (VUP) Implementation, impact evaluation South Africa Impact evaluation Zambia Impact evaluation Ethiopia (BOLSA) Design, advo, implem, evaluation NamibiaZambia Design, impact evaluation Zimbabwe Oversight Pilots on the way BotswanaOVC /community based targeting TanzaniaMadagascar Design, advocacy Swaziland Evaluation Kenya OVC Design, implementation, impact evaluation Kenya Hunger Experiment targeting Angola Design, advocacy ZambiaLesotho Design, implementation, impact evaluation Mozambique Design, impact evaluation Uganda: Design, impact evaluation, experiment targeting

Source: UNICEF ROSA June 2009 Social Protection South Asia – a mapping Social Security Social Assistance Formal sector General social assistance Sectoral social assistance - transfers in cash & kind Emergency transfers Country Sickness, unemploy- ment, old age, health, insurance (e.g. public service, formal sector) Poverty- related: Old age/survivor allowance/di sability benefits (universal or means tested) Child benefit (e.g. girl child grants) Health- related transfers (e.g. maternity benefits) Education- related transfers (e.g. school meals, stipends) Employme nt-related transfers (e.g. public works schemes) Transfers to cope with shocks, conflict and natural disasters Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan India Maldives Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka

South Asia: UNICEF Support Supporting the design and scale-up of national social protection systems Support formulation of National Social Protection Strategies in Afghanistan, Pakistan; Social assistance chapter of the new PRSP in Bangladesh; Support for the reform of the social protection system in Nepal; support to the new National Social Protection Agency in Maldives Ensuring that new or enhanced systems benefit children Support to CCTs in cyclone affected areas in Bangladesh, support to the girl child scholarship schemes in India; advocacy for adoption of child grant in Nepal Working with partners to analyse the adequacy of social protection in the context of child poverty and disparities Advocacy on social inclusion of the Benazir Income Support Scheme in Pakistan; social inclusion dialogue in Afghanistan, building linkages between child protection and social protection for vulnerable children, and improvements in service delivery in Sri Lanka Enhancing operational experience and partner capacity at the country level Contributing to national efforts in social protection reform (incl. at subnational level) through research and analysis and advocacy in India ; review of the fiscal budget with attention to the social protection budget and importance of sustaining social budget shares in view of the fiscal constraints in Maldives

East Asia and Pacific: Key issues Some countries have fairly sophisticated systems (Indonesia), some rapidly developing (China, Cambodia, Vietnam), others initial (PPNG) Systems need to be more proactive rather than reactive – Many initiatives implemented post 1997/98; and in 2008/9 Fragmented system – Many different national and local agencies responsible – undermines effectiveness; E.g. 17 agencies in China, 15 in Indonesia Equity concerns – Many groups do not benefit of have difficulties accessing: internal & cross- border migrants, ethnic minorities, children with HIV/AIDS Lack of evaluation – Evidence on protection against immediate risks and vulnerabilities but less on impact on capabilities of poor & children in long-run Investment concerns – Less spending compared to other regions – 4.5% in East Asia, 1.1% in Pacific compared to 3.9% even in South Asia

East Asia and Pacific: UNICEF role Leading Technical role in developing social protection/safety net strategies & making more child-sensitive – PNG – TA on development of SP policy including cash and non-cash transfers – Cambodia – National consultation on safety nets including cash transfers and MNCH UNICEF providing technical expertise to pilots that can be replicated at larger scale – Incorporating multi-dimensional understanding of poverty into design – Advocacy may lead to piloting of child-specific CCTs in Cambodia – Vietnam – supporting pilot on ‘Development of Community-based Child Protection Network’

Latin America and Caribbean Uneven situation: Fractured and heterogeneous systems Create (eg. Haiti) Strengthen Expand – Modalities differ. Not all of them conditional

Latin America and Caribbean Country Examples Integrated early childhood development respecting indigenous values and traditions (Colombia) Integrated packages of education, health and water/sanitation interventions at municipal level (Brazil, Nicaragua) Single database of beneficiaries (Paraguay) Assessment of Social Safety Nets (with UNIFEM and WB) Haiti – Post disaster reconstruction

SP is an area of early engagement for UNICEF in MENA. COs are staring approach SP work in a quite empirical way and still lacking overall understanding of UNICEF’s role Country engagement differs from country to country although it is mostly related to including analysis of social protection initiatives in Countries’ SITANs, engaging dialogue with line ministries on child sensitive SP, planning training of partner ministries on SP. Most of Social Policies programmes of UNICEF COs start having analysis of and contribution to national SP schemes as an explicit objectives. Most of results are however planned from No open collaboration/dialogue on SP is reported by MENA’s COs, based on 2009 COARs. Social Protection in MENA

No country in the region representing future - No exemplars Crisis underlining importance but also limitations existing social protection systems Not enough ‘state effort’ being made Much too narrowly conceived Most effort wiped out by charges Risk crisis not being used to transform social protection; a ‘Shift’ towards much more EU understandings of what state can /should do for families with children needed Towards a ‘social protection strategy’ for the region? Social Protection in CEE/CIS: Not enough ‘state effort’ for families with children

CEE/CIS: Social Assistance as % Average Earnings

CEE/CIS: Child benefit package, difference from childless couple, half average income, PPPs

Key issues going forward UN social protection floor Scaling up of social protection, particularly in low-income countries, despite governments phasing out fiscal stimulus plans and initiating fiscal tightening/adjustment Operationalising child-sensitive social protection Sustainable financing models for social protection systems Measurement of social protection coverage Disability

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