We are pleased to alert you to ISS working paper 731 The state of social protection in the context of converging global crises: a scoping review, by Zemzem Shigute Shuka, Zerihun Berhane Weldegebriel, Tsegaye Moreda, Binyam Afewerk Demena and John Cruzatti Constantine.
Abstract
The world is facing a multitude of interconnected crises and challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery, ongoing conflicts and wars, climate change, and public debt and austerity. These threaten to exacerbate existing inequalities and push vulnerable populations further into poverty and hardship. The convergence of these crises has worsened the plight of poor people, bringing an intensified need for social protection, programmes designed to reduce poverty and inequality and provide a safety net for the poorest and most vulnerable people and communities. This scoping review examines the state of social protection in a world of converging global crises, exploring how these crises both shape and are shaped by social protection programmes. The review finds that while the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, climate change, and austerity have exposed significant weaknesses in social protection systems, they have also driven expansion and innovation in some areas. Nonetheless, many programmes remain underfunded, and vulnerable groups, particularly informal workers, migrants, women, and people with disabilities, are frequently excluded. Moreover, challenges such as limited fiscal space, high public debt, and inflation constrain governments' ability to maintain or expand these programmes, especially in low- and middle-income countries. To address these gaps, the review recommends increased investment in social protection, improved targeting and delivery mechanisms, greater inclusiveness, and the integration of social protection with other essential services, such as education and healthcare. By implementing these measures, countries can build more resilient and comprehensive social protection frameworks to face crises and foster inclusive and sustainable development.
Keywords
Social protection, converging crisis, climate change, conflict, sustainable development.
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