Social Protection in Asia and the Pacific: Inventory of non-contributory programmes
Organization(s): International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth, UNICEF
Regions: Asia, Pacific
Year: 2019
Language: English
PDF of Resource
Social protection programmes are now widely recognised as key policy instruments for developing countries to combat poverty. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has explicitly recognised the importance of implementing “nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors” as an explicit target under Sustainable Development Goal 1: “End poverty in all its forms everywhere. Nonetheless, knowledge of specific programmes being implemented across developing countries can be fragmented or inaccessible. This study intends to contribute towards addressing these gaps, providing an overview of non-contributory social protection programmes
(those providing regular and predictable cash or in-kind transfers or services) in selected regions in Asia and the Pacific. Moreover, the profiles presented will also be made available online, through the socialprotection.org platform.
This report was supported by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the research was co-led by International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) and UNICEF teams, with the former focusing on low- and middle-income countries in South and East Asia, and the latter on 11 Pacific Island Countries. The research was based on a comprehensive literature review, complemented by consultations with local focal points, including UNICEF Country Offices and government representatives, who provided substantial inputs to the review of the programmes. These sources are referenced as ‘personal communication’ throughout the report.
Programme selection included those fully or partially financed, designed or implemented by governments, and about which there was sufficient available information. Thus, this publication does not represent an exhaustive mapping of all non-contributory programmes in these countries, but rather an overview of the main programmes currently in place. In total, 215 programmes from 30 countries were mapped, of which 141 were profiled.
Related Principles
States parties to major human rights instruments related to economic, social and cultural rights such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) have an immediate minimum core obligation to ensure the satisfaction of, at the very least, minimum essential levels of all economic, social and cultural rights such as the right […]