Child benefits are literally a life saver and game changer for children. They can make the difference between a healthy, happy and long life or one punctuated by ill health, stress and unrealised potential, especially in times of crisis. They are indispensable for child wellbeing and economically dynamic societies.
Yet most children miss out on them. Today, three-quarters of the world’s children – 1.77 billion aged 0–18 years – lack access to child benefits. This is simply unacceptable.

Child benefits are literally a life saver and game changer for children. They can make the difference between a healthy, happy and long life or one punctuated by ill health, stress and unrealised potential, especially in times of crisis. They are indispensable for child wellbeing and economically dynamic societies.
Yet most children miss out on them. Today, three-quarters of the world’s children – 1.77 billion aged 0–18 years – lack access to child benefits. This is simply unacceptable.

In April 2023, a technical exchange brought together experts and practitioners to share experiences and lessons learned from the extension of social protection to workers in the informal economy.
Co-organized by the Global Partnership to achieve universal social protection (USP2030) and the EU funded Social Protection and Public Finance Management (SP&PFM) Programme, the event showcased country experiences on extension strategies to lift barriers to coverage. Discussions highlighted the need to promote transitions to formality, in alignment with key principles of solidarity and collective financing.

Author: USP2030 Secretariat | Date 01 January 2022.
members of the Global Partnership for Universal Social Protection to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (USP2030) and interested partners gathered for the third annual USP2030 Membership Assembly. As a worldwide alliance that brings together governments, international and regional organizations, social partners and civil society organizations, these assemblies provide an important opportunity to jointly reflect on key developments related to social protection and USP2030 in the past year, and what they mean for the partnership’s future work.

Climate change is already impacting the lives of people worldwide, and its effects will pose a severe threat to the achievement of sustainable development objectives going forward, as the latest IPCC report highlights. This has significant implications for poverty reduction, inequality and other social protection outcomes. Social protection systems will therefore have to systematically take into account climate change, including potential contributions to climate change mitigation, adaptation and risk management.

Food systems are under strain. One-tenth of the world’s population is undernourished and food needs are expected to nearly double by 2050. Africa and South Asia could experience a decrease in mean grain yields by up to 17 percent over the same period, which will further increase the level of hungry and poor people.

Today, we are in the midst of a dangerous two-speed recovery — the ‘’great divergence’’ as Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, refers to it — which risks pushing many developing countries further behind advanced economies, and scarring the lives of millions of unprotected workers and their families, women, and children.

How can social protection systems effectively identify and support those in need? The answer involves a complex interplay of different programmes, delivery mechanisms and information systems.

On 17th February 2022, during the second Global Disability Summit, a group of UN agencies, development agencies, DPOs and NGOs organized a side event to take stock of key achievements since the last Summit in 2018 and discuss the way forward to leverage social protection systems better for the inclusion of people with disability.

On the 2nd of March 2021, members and interested partners came together for the 2nd Membership Assembly of the Global Partnership for Universal Social Protection (USP2030), a worldwide alliance bringing together governments, international and regional organisations, social partners and civil society organisations, in a shared commitment towards ensuring social protection for all, as stated in the partnership’s Call to Action.