Shaping the Future of Social Protection: Access, Financing and Solidarity Panel 1 – Social protection coverage and rights Thirty-first session of ECLAC Montevideo, Uruguay, March 2006

Stylized facts  Low coverage of contributory mechanisms  Slow growth, unfavourable labour trends  Non-contributory systems: financing difficulties, low coverage and inadequate quality  To raise social spending, it is necessary to increase financing without undermining the economies’ competitiveness

The document proposes:  Rights-based approach should guide social policy: Viability, ownership and enforceability  Change in approach: Employment should no longer be seen as the only mechanism for access to social protection  A new social covenant or pact is needed in order to restructure the system

This social covenant must:  Define explicit, guaranteed and enforceable rights  Define levels and sources of financing Contributory – Non-contributory Integration of solidarity mechanisms  Develop a framework of social institutions Social policy management Coordination of service delivery