Conference “Social protection & public finance management”

A year after the programme’s completion the InfoPoint Conference “Social protection & public finance management”. Lessons for the future, dived into the lessons learned, successful examples and challenges faced during the programme implementation.

The recording of the Conference is here (at the end of the page).

The programme “Improving Synergies Between Social Protection and Public Finance Management (SP&PFM)” was jointly implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors (GCSP) between 2019 and 2023. 

The programme brought together practitioners and policymakers in public finance management (PFM) and in social protection, with the aim to boost investment in social protection, through domestic resource mobilization and improved PFM, while applying a right-based approach and the international social security standards. 

Implementation spread around 24 countries, covering a broad spectrum of activities: estimating costs of social protection needs; conducting fiscal space analysis and assessing different financing options; reviewing rules of public finance management of social protection budgets; and increasing compliance with social security laws related to public finance, transparency and participatory accountability. 

The programme counts significant achievements: it assisted in the adoption of national social protection policies and laws, it helped introduce and improve schemes and programmes for persons with disabilities, workers in the formal economy, the unemployed and migrant workers, all while actively including civil society and social partners. The programme was also instrumental in amplifying the impact of EU cooperation interventions through Budget Support, informing policy dialogue and discussions with both sectoral (Social Development, Labour) and Finance Ministries.

A year after the programme’s completion, the InfoPoint Conference took place on Thursday, 12 December 2024 in Brussels, Belgium and: 

• discussed its achievements and innovations in terms of research, methodologies and tools developed (e.g. multiplier effects study, tool on financing, methodology for assessing PFM of social protection, digital social protection)
• showcased partner countries’ experiences in extending social protection to all, while ensuring sustainable financing and improved PFM for social protection
• explored links with Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions,  the Global Gateway of the EU, and the Global Partnership for Universal Social Protection to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (USP2030) 
• encouraged reflection on what is the way forward in strengthening the links between social protection and public finance management, along with representatives from EU Member States: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Agence Française De Développement (AFD)

Speakers

• Cécile Billaux, Head of Unit, INTPA G4 - Social Inclusion and Protection, Health and Demography
• Céline Peyron Bista, Social Protection and Employment Policies Specialist, ILO
• Céline Felix, Social Protection Specialist, UNICEF
• Uzziel Twagilimana, Deputy Director Programmes, WSM (on behalf of the GCSPF)
• Emmanuel Fourmann, Economist within the Research Facility on Inequality, AFD
• Silas Theile, Adviser, Global Alliances for Social Protection, GIZ 
• Xavier Le Mounier, INTPA E1 - Macro-Economic analysis, Fiscal Policies & Budget Support, Global partnerships with IFIs

The final report is now available Improving social protection financing through synergies with public finance management, December 2024.

Source: International Partnership. European Commission.