20 August 2009
DFID has supported the development of a joint statement in partnership with UNICEF, ILO, UNDP and civil society. The statement is released today and is designed to highlight the importance of child-sensitive social protection to poverty reduction. The Joint Statement aims to build international consensus for the effectiveness of child-sensitive social protection, particularly during this time of economic crisis. It points to the particular vulnerabilities that children and families face and outlines principles and approaches for undertaking child-sensitive social protection.
Social protection is generally understood as a set of public actions that address poverty, vulnerability and exclusion as well as providing a means to cope with risks throughout the life cycle. The statement highlights that social protection can increase the effectiveness of investments in health, education, water and sanitation as part of an essential package of services for citizens. Investing in social protection not only supports progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, it also has the potential to protect the poorest from shocks, such as instability in food prices or other essential commodities, and climate volatility.
The joint statement aims to build policy coherence and better delivery, and to support further dialogue and lesson learning among stakeholders. For more information visit www.unicef.org/socialpolicy
In the new White Paper, Building our Common Future, the UK has committed to support 50 million more people through social assistance and related measures. DFID works together with a large number of partners - governments, civil society organizations, the private sector and international agencies - to help deliver social protection programmes as a response to chronic poverty and current and future crises. Lessons from previous crises highlight that failure to effectively protect the poorest households from adverse shocks in the short term wipes out key development gains in health, nutrition and education for children.
