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(07/12/10) Social protection is key to poverty eradication and inclusive development, says European Report on Development
Social protection can help reduce poverty and vulnerability and promote development and inclusive growth in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a report which was commissioned by the EU. To unleash the full potential of social protection, African countries, the EU and other donors need to place it at the heart of their development policies.
Despite weathering the recent global downturn with its economic growth mostly intact, sub-Saharan Africa is facing serious structural development challenges and is vulnerable to a wide range of shocks, from food prices instability to climate change, which are threatening much of the progress that has been made in terms of poverty eradication and other Millennium Development Goals.
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Latest international figures reveal that the 2007-2008 food crisis plunged 30 million more Africans into extreme poverty. Looking to the future, the recent economic and financial crisis may, according to the World Bank and IMF, lead to 20 million fewer Africans being lifted out of poverty by the 2015 deadline of the Millennium Development Goals.
The second ever European Report on Development (ERD), being launched today in Brussels at the European Development Days, suggests that, together with conventional development policy measures, social protection could help sub-Saharan Africa combat poverty by reducing its vulnerability to shocks and promoting inclusive development and growth.
Social protection at the heart of development policy
“A number of African countries already have social protection programmes in place. It is increasingly on the policy agenda of African leaders and several EU donors already support social protection based on the belief that it is both a human right and a catalyst for promoting inclusive development and pro-poor growth,” explains Giorgia Giovannetti of the European University Institute, the lead author of this year's report.
“This year’s edition of the ERD concludes that these piecemeal efforts are not enough. Social protection needs to become a central and coordinated component of the development policies of African countries, the EU and its Member States, and other donors. Our analysis shows that it is feasible, affordable, and that the time is ripe”.
The EU has a number of advantages that can help to support country-led social protection initiatives in Africa, including its diversity of models and the valuable transition experience of the new EU Member States. The ERD identifies seven priority areas for a future EU development agenda on social protection in Africa. These include promoting and supporting comprehensive social protection systems, starting with the African Union' social policy framework, aligning with domestic priorities, and tailoring intervention modalities to the context and needs of each country. It also encompasses the need to tackle the challenge of financial affordability, including through support to domestic tax reforms and the provision of more predictable aid flows, as well as the need to promote knowledge-building and the sharing of information, including South-South partnerships.
Social protection is already making inroads into EU development policy. With the publication, in November 2010, of the Green Paper on Development, the European Commission launched a public consultation to pave the way for a modernised EU development policy, which will be set out in a communication in 2011.
Background
The ERD initiative is supported by the European Commission and seven EU Member States (Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and the UK).
The aim of the ERD is to enhance the European Union’s perspective on development issues on the basis of independent knowledge excellence, innovative policy recommendations and the building of common ground between the European research community and policy-makers. It demonstrates the commitment of the EU – the world’s largest provider of development assistance – to the Millennium Development Goals.
State fragility in sub-Saharan Africa was the central topic of the first edition of the ERD, which was released in October 2009. The European University Institute based in Florence is leading the research effort. As the ERD depends on a thorough consultative process with various stakeholders, preparatory consultations have taken place in 2010 in Brussels, Florence, Paris and Dakar.
