SPOT

Social protection is a human right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living guaranteed by social protection in times of need.

The ESCAP Action Plan to Strengthen Regional Cooperation on Social Protection defines social protection as “nationally defined policies and programmes that provide equitable access to all people and protect them throughout their lives against poverty and risks to their livelihood and well-being. This protection can be provided through a range of mechanisms, including cash or in-kind benefits, contributory or non-contributory schemes, and programmes to enhance human capital, productive assets and access to jobs.

It includes, but is not limited to, child benefits; benefits and support for people of working age in case of maternity, disability, work injury or unemployment; and old age pensions.”

Social protection provides critical income support to people throughout their lives. Different forms of child benefits, working-age benefits and old-age pensions help people raise a child and retire in dignity. They prevent old age, pregnancy, ill-health or unemployment leading to poverty and hardship.

In Asia and the Pacific, only a handful of countries have comprehensive social protection systems in place. In half of the countries in the region, excluding China, less than one third of the population is covered by a social protection scheme and the rest is completely unprotected.