In just two decades since the early 2000s, social protection established itself as a vibrant social policy sector in countries across the Global South, from Latin America to sub-Saharan Africa to South Asia. Social protection appeared in several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. Even the poorest countries now have a National Social Protection Policy. More recently, social protection provided an invaluable set of instruments deployed by governments worldwide in national responses to Covid‑19.
Challenges and opportunities
However, the global context today is very different to two decades ago, and is characterised by a range of emerging and intensifying uncertainties and challenges. Dimensions of uncertainty include: the war in Ukraine, its implications for global food and energy security and the associated cost of living crisis; post-Covid-19 recovery and efforts to get back on track towards achieving the SDG targets by 2030; the intensifying climate crisis and too slow transitions to green economies; and the increasing number and duration of protracted crises, acute conflicts, displacement, refugees, and economic migration.
Moreover, questions remain about the extent to which social protection is fully institutionalised and embedded, especially in low-income countries where the initial impetus and funding was provided by international development partners. This concern is reflected in persistent underfunding by governments in the Global South of social protection programmes: under-coverage, inadequate benefits, and few claims-based entitlements. What will remain when financial and technical assistance from development agencies is withdrawn?
Related to this, the rise of right-of-centre populist governments, economic shocks associated with Covid-19 and the Ukraine war, and austerity budgets in the Global North could all reduce official development assistance to the Global South, which in turn could affect spending on social protection.
Where next for the future?
All these uncertainties are relevant to how to think about social protection for the future: will social protection follow the ‘high road’ of further expansion and growth, or the ‘low road’ of stagnation and cutbacks?
Importantly, they also present opportunities. A defining function of social protection is to protect vulnerable people against risks and shocks, and new technologies and common modalities and platforms are facilitating a convergence between social protection and humanitarian relief, as was amply demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Reimagining social protection
What is the role of social protection in this shifting and uncertain global context? How can we reimagine this policy area?
To provide a much-needed platform for critical reflection and inspiring conversation, the Centre for Social Protection at IDS is organising an international conference from 12 to 14 September 2023.
This conference will offer a forum for researchers and critical thinkers to discuss and debate the past, present and future of social protection policy and provision, especially but not only in the Global South.
The Call for Papers is now open. We invite proposals on the themes of the politics of social protection, social protection in crisis settings, inclusive social protection, and programme and system innovation.
How to submit
Submissions should be sent to [email protected]
The full call can be downloaded here. The deadline is 15 January 2023.
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