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Alumni Brighton
IDS Research Associate Richard Longhurst and the Director of Teaching and Alumni Relations, Robert Nurick hosted an alumni dinner in Brighton.

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SOLIDAR Event Report #2: Social Protection - an essential part of the EU development cooperation strategy

On 14 April, a panel made up of speakers including Rudi Delarue (ILO Brussels), Rachel Sabates-Wheeler (IDS) and Francisca Keller MEP (Greens/EFA Group) and chaired by Angela Penrose (Grow Up Free from Poverty Coalition) exchanged views on the topic of social protection and why it is an essential part of the EU development cooperation strategy.

Panel members highlighted that a more positive and proactive role should be given to social protection, which extends its scope beyond the conventional role of "social safety nets". Instead, the 'transformative' role of social protection should be acknowledged and the focus should be on social risk, vulnerability and the empowerment of the poor, transforming the conditions in which they struggle to construct viable livelihoods.

Conclusions and recommendations:

  • Social protection must be a central component of EU development cooperation policy, with a clear strategy for implementation.
  • The EU should ensure greater coherence in external relations policies by developing a Communication on Social Protection in development cooperation.

This Communication should:

  • Be tied to a concrete, time-bound action plan with dedicated resources
  • Deliver a strategy to support the implementation of long-term and sustainable social protection systems in developing countries
  • Reinforce the UN's Social Protection Floor
  • Capitalise on EU Member States' varying areas of expertise to provide more technical and financial support to developing country governments to implement and extend social protection systems
  • Include social protection and decent work as focus sectors in more country and regional strategy papers by providing guidance for sector and budget support policy dialogue in this area.

Click on the following links for the full report of the event and the Briefing Paper: