Varatharajan Durairaj, WHO UN CEB Joint Crisis Initiative VI: A Social Protection Floor Inter-agency technical meeting Michael Cichon, ILO David Evans, WHO Varatharajan Durairaj, WHO 13 October 2009

Structure of the presentation One: The CEB Social Protection Floor Initiative, its roots and mandate : A reminder Two: Objectives of the meeting Three: Main agenda items Four: Concrete Outcomes

One: The legal base … Article 22 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security” further explained by article 25 and echoed by the International Covenant on Economic and Social Rights (1966,1976) as commented by the Committee on Economic , Social and cultural rights in 2008 stating Progressive implementation of the right to social security while maintaining a core obligation to select a core group of social risks and contingencies for immediate implementation States parties…”should consider the development of further legal instruments” to “ ensure that the right to social security is given due attention in international agreements”

One: The legal base … Article 25 including the right to health and well being including food , clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services …special care and assistance in case of motherhood and childhood… Article 26 stipulated the universal right to education… Article 27 the right participate in the cultural life of the community… THE SPF INITITIATIVE TRIES TO GIVE CORE CONTENT TO THE BASIC RIGHTS EVEN IN TIMES OF CRISES …

One: A UN System Emergency response to the crisis On April 2009, the UN Chief Executives Board (CEB) have agreed on nine joint initiatives to confront the crisis, accelerate recovery and pave the way for a fairer and more sustainable globalization: Additional financing for the most vulnerable Food Security Trade A Green Economy Initiative A Global Jobs Pact A Social Protection Floor Humanitarian, Security and Social Stability Technology and Innovation Monitoring and Analysis

One: What is the Social Protection Floor (SPF)–Initiative One: What is the Social Protection Floor (SPF)–Initiative? .. As agreed in the concept note and the CEB issues The SPF Initiative aims at ensuring access to essential services and social transfers for the poor and vulnerable. It includes: A basic set of essential social transfers, in cash and in kind, to provide a minimum income and livelihood security for poor and vulnerable populations and to facilitate access to essential services, such as health care Geographical and financial access to essential services, such as health, water and sanitation, education, social work

One: Who participates in the SPF-Initiative? National stakeholders, including governments (ministries of labour, health, finance, agriculture …), social partners and national NGOs, etc. UN agencies such as ILO, WHO, FAO, IMF, OHCHR, UN Regional Commissions, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNDESA, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHABITAT, UNHCR, UNODC, UNRWA, WFP, WMO, other international organizations such as World Bank and Regional Development Banks, and bilateral donors, global funds and International NGOs

One: Major Groups of activities Country level: Joint SPF Taskforce (government, social partners, social security institutions, UN agencies, NGOs, donors, etc. ) Joint SPF Taskforce Government, social partners, UN agencies, NGOs etc. Support Global level: Coordination of UN agencies (ILO, WHO, UNICEF, UNDESA, UNAIDS …), donors, international NGOs, Govts, social partners which set up a Global Technical Advisory Network Global Technical Advisory Network

One : Where are we…

TWO: Objectives of the meetings Achieve a co-operative, constructive, realistic and transparent and team spirit… Agree on: Activities within the strategic framework on the global level (knowledge management, advocacy and fund raising, developing a common implementation framework, monitoring and evaluation) Pragmatic modus operandi on the country level

THREE: Main Agenda Item Provide an overview: about the range and scope of activities of the initiative Knowing and understanding: the range of the toolboxes and modi operandi of the agencies… Compiling and connecting: the differnet toolboxes into a logical framework for country based activities that fit into existing planning frameworks Agreeing on: how to move into action on a country level

Second draft of the Manual THREE: Outputs Second draft of the Manual Agreement on two or three country test cases… A Global advisory network estbalished Agreement on a web-based presence and contact points

The time to make a difference is now… And finally …. The time to make a difference is now… If the crisis can leave behind a broadbased consensus that people in the global economy and the global society have a right to a basic level of social protection and that this is feasible… the crisis has not been wasted.