Towards Universal Social Protection (USP) by 2030 in Eastern Africa

In 2015, the international community recognized universal social protection as a cornerstone of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as reflected in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 1.3. The COVID-19 pandemic showed once more, and in a drastic fashion, that social protection is a social, economic and political necessity for inclusive, sustainable and equitable development and a human-centered recovery.

To support this commitment to universal social protection, the Global Partnership for Universal Social Protection to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (USP2030) was launched in 2016. Co-chaired by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Bank, USP2030 is a multi-stakeholder partnership, founded by and bringing together representatives of governments at different levels of development, social partners, international organizations and civil society organizations that are committed to achieving universal social protection through five agreed actions, centered around the principles of:

1. protection throughout the life cycle;
2. universal coverage, including by ensuring that social protection systems are rights-based, gender-responsive and inclusive;
3. national ownership;
4. sustainable and equitable financing;
5. participation and social dialogue.

The composition of USP2030, specifically the participation of countries at different levels of development, makes the partnership a unique international forum in the field of social protection, with its key strategic priorities being advocacy, technical exchanges and knowledge development and sharing.

To these ends, USP2030 is keen to strengthen its engagement at the subregional level, in Eastern Africa, and to extend its membership, thereby increasing the benefits that it can bring to countries and at the same time enhancing is legitimacy and political stature to advocate for universal social protection and bringing in country perspectives at the global level.

This conference sets the scene by highlighting the criticality of universal social protection as an end in itself – recognized as a human right – as well as a means to unleash the social and economic prosperity of nations, as also implicit in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

We will then explore the link between the global agenda and national efforts, discussing questions such as: What are common challenges to extending universal social protection in countries in Eastern Africa? To what extent can countries, within and beyond the region, learn from each other? And what is the role of an international partnership such as USP2030 in this respect?

The conference aims for a wide audience that will include decision-makers at the political and technical level, representatives from government organizations, including all relevant line ministries and ministries of finance, representatives of social security institutions, social partners, development partners, and civil society organizations.

In line with USP2030’s mission to accelerate progress towards achieving SDG 1.3, the conference aims to advocate for extending universal social protection in Eastern African countries and connect stakeholders across the region to jointly discuss challenges and lessons learnt.  The specific objectives include:

• To highlight the critical role of universal social protection, a human right and socioeconomic necessity;
• To discuss the challenges that Eastern African countries face in extending universal social protection, taking into account perspectives of different stakeholders;
• To identify good practices in countries and the extent to which countries can learn from each other;
• To discuss the role of USP2030 in accelerating progress towards achieving SDG 1.3 in the region.

The meeting, organized by ITC-ILO on behalf of USP2030 and ILO, will be held exclusively online and conducted in English.

The date of the event is as follows:

14 JUNE 2022 from 14:00 to 16.00 (EAT)

• Keynote address: Towards universal social protection (USP): A human right and socioeconomic necessity 
• Discussion Panel and Interview: Common challenges to extending universal social protection and shared experiences

• ILO. 2021. “Africa Regional Social Protection Strategy, 2021-2025.”
• ILO. 2021. Extending Social Security Coverage to Workers in the Informal Economy: Lessons from International Experience. 
• About Social Protection and Informal Economy: https://informaleconomy.social-protection.org.
• ILO. 2021. World Social Protection Report 2020–22: Social Protection at the Crossroads – in Pursuit of a Better Future. 
• ILO and FAO. 2021. “Extending Social Protection to Rural Populations: Perspectives for a Common FAO and ILO Approach.” 
• ILO and UNICEF. 2022. “The Role of Social Protection in the Elimination of Child Labour: Evidence Review and Policy Implications.” 
• ILO and UNICEF. 2019. “Towards Universal Social Protection for Children: Achieving SDG 1.3.” 
• ILO, UNICEF, IDA, and UNPRPD. 2022. “Disability-inclusive Social Protection.”
• Ortiz, Isabel, Anis Chowdhury, Fabio Durán Valverde, Taneem Muzaffar, and Stefan Urban. 2019. Fiscal Space for Social Protection: A Handbook for Assessing Financing Options. 
• UNICEF, ILO, and WIEGO. 2021. “Family-Friendly Policies for Workers in the Informal Economy: Protecting and Ensuring Social Protection and Care Systems for All Children and Families in the Context of COVID-19 and Beyond.”
• USP2030. “Call to Action.”
• WIEGO. 2020. “#3 Social Protection Responses to Covid-19: Informal Workers and Dialogue for Social Protection.”  
• WIEGO. 2022. “Social Protection for Self-Employed Informal Workers in Sub-Saharan Africa: A rights-based assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis”