Social floor
Encyclopedia
A Social Protection Floor (SPF) is a basic set of social rights, services and facilities that every person should enjoy. The United Nations suggests that a SPF could consist of two main elements that help to realize human rights:
1. Universal access to essential services (such as health, education, housing, water and sanitation and other services as nationally defined);
2. Social Transfers in cash or in kind, to guarantee income security, food security, adequate nutrition, and access to essential services.
A SPF is a socio-economic development policy concept and a crisis management concept that creates a solid foundation for economic growth, provides a societal insurance against perpetuating poverty and mitigates the effects of economic shocks and crisis. A SPF is the first level of a comprehensive national social protection
system that helps to realize human rights for all through guaranteeing social transfers in cash or in kind and universal access to essential social services. SPF policies are a powerful tool to combat poverty, to accelerate progress to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, to reduce inequalities and increase social cohesion, and to support inclusive economic growth by unlocking the full economic potential of the population. A SPF will empower people to meaningfully participate in the development of their societies and ensure that people do not suffer from hunger, avoidable illnesses, do not remain uneducated, do not have to resort to unsafe water or do not remain homeless.
Countries will develop nationally defined strategies for the progressive realization and sustainability of their floor as well as higher levels of social protection in line with their needs, preferences and financial capacities. Building on existing social protection mechanisms, these strategies may include a mix of contributory and non-contributory, targeted and universal, public and private instruments depending on the social, economic and political context.
The activities of the initiative are open for participation to all organisations that want to support the cause of strengthening social protection for all in need. Organizations that are involved include:
ILO, WHO, FAO, IMF, OHCHR, UN Regional Commissions, UNAIDS, UN-DESA, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UN-HABITAT, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNODC, UNRWA, WFP, WMO, WORLD BANK, ADB, BMZ, DFID, Helpage International, Save the Children, ICSW, GIZ, ESN, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Finland, French International Health and Social Protection Agency, GIPS,...
1. Universal access to essential services (such as health, education, housing, water and sanitation and other services as nationally defined);
2. Social Transfers in cash or in kind, to guarantee income security, food security, adequate nutrition, and access to essential services.
A SPF is a socio-economic development policy concept and a crisis management concept that creates a solid foundation for economic growth, provides a societal insurance against perpetuating poverty and mitigates the effects of economic shocks and crisis. A SPF is the first level of a comprehensive national social protection
Social protection
Social protection, as defined by the United Nations Research Institute For Social Development, is concerned with preventing, managing, and overcoming situations that adversely affect people’s well being...
system that helps to realize human rights for all through guaranteeing social transfers in cash or in kind and universal access to essential social services. SPF policies are a powerful tool to combat poverty, to accelerate progress to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, to reduce inequalities and increase social cohesion, and to support inclusive economic growth by unlocking the full economic potential of the population. A SPF will empower people to meaningfully participate in the development of their societies and ensure that people do not suffer from hunger, avoidable illnesses, do not remain uneducated, do not have to resort to unsafe water or do not remain homeless.
Countries will develop nationally defined strategies for the progressive realization and sustainability of their floor as well as higher levels of social protection in line with their needs, preferences and financial capacities. Building on existing social protection mechanisms, these strategies may include a mix of contributory and non-contributory, targeted and universal, public and private instruments depending on the social, economic and political context.
The Social Protection Floor Initiative (SPF-I)
The Social Protection Floor Initiative (SPF-I) is a joint UN effort to build a global coalition of UN agencies, international NGOs, development banks, bilateral organisations and other development partners that are committed to collaborating at national, regional and global levels to support countries committed to building national social protection floors for their population. The SPF-I was launched in April 2009 as one of the UN Chief Executives Board’s crisis initiatives – responding to repeated demand from member states for better coordinated technical, logistical and financial assistance from UN system agencies in times of crisis.The activities of the initiative are open for participation to all organisations that want to support the cause of strengthening social protection for all in need. Organizations that are involved include:
ILO, WHO, FAO, IMF, OHCHR, UN Regional Commissions, UNAIDS, UN-DESA, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UN-HABITAT, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNODC, UNRWA, WFP, WMO, WORLD BANK, ADB, BMZ, DFID, Helpage International, Save the Children, ICSW, GIZ, ESN, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Finland, French International Health and Social Protection Agency, GIPS,...