The video of the side event “The transformative potential of expanding the coverage of child benefits to eliminate child poverty” is now online. The side event was held on February 14, 2024 during the 62nd Session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD62).
Child poverty is one of the world’s greatest challenges to the realisation of the SDGs and children’s rights, including the right to survival, learning and protection. In 2022, 330 million children lived in extreme poverty, with children comprising more than half of the world’s 1.1 billion people experiencing multidimensional poverty.
Through the SDGs, world leaders committed to eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, including by putting in place social protection floors (SPFs) by 2030 and guaranteeing access to quality essential health care for all and basic income security for children, persons with disabilities, older persons and the unemployed.
While governments have made some progress in building inclusive social protection systems, children are frequently left the furthest behind. For instance, in 2021, more than 73 percent of girls and boys worldwide did not receive any child or family cash benefits at all, leaving them particularly vulnerable and at risk to the irreversible and long-lasting impacts of poverty, stunting and wasting, inadequate access to health and education services on human capability development.
To promote awareness and use of Universal Child Benefits (UCBs) as an effective means to reduce child poverty and support child development, the International Labour Organization (ILO), Save the Children and UNICEF launched a new tool, the Global Child Benefits Tracker during the CSocD62 in New York. As indicated by the recent report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in his report to the Human Rights Council, UCBs are one of the most inclusive, effective and fairest approaches to reach those furthest behind.
The aim of this tool is to provide a dedicated knowledge management platform to foster progressive and evidence-based dialogue, drawing on best practice, on the need for and feasibility of greater investment in child-sensitive social protection.
Speakers and Panelists
Opening Remarks: Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, Special Representative to the United Nations and Director of the ILO Office in New York
Keynote Speaker: Philip Alston, former UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights
Moderated Discussion
This event was organised by Save the Children International, UNICEF and ILO and co-sponsored by the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors (GCSPF), the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg and USP2030.
The CSocD62 took place from 5 to 14 February 2024 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The priority theme of the CSocD62 focused on "Fostering social development and social justice through social policies to accelerate progress on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to achieve the overarching goal of poverty eradication". The emerging issue focused on "The Influence of Digital Transformation on Inclusive Growth and Development: A Path to Realizing Social Justice".
Download the concept note here. Further information is available here and at the UN's website.
