51吃瓜

? World Bank / Curt Carnemark - A mother and a child in Mali

Summary

Although only 17.4 per cent of the African population is covered by the formal social protection system, Africa is not an empty space when it comes to social protection. Traditional, indigenous social protection mechanisms based on kinship or self-organized mutual aid often predate colonization and have long acted as a powerful instrument for welfare protection and social development. The complex risks African nations face today emphasize the urgency for expanded investment in more robust, comprehensive and integrated social protection systems.

There is, therefore, a need to build synergies between formal and informal social protection and adopt an integrated approach, where the two systems truly complement each other. The ultimate objective is to extend sufficient levels of social protection to Africans and, at the same time, upload African traditional values and promote a sense of shared responsibility toward Africa’s future prosperity.

It is against this backdrop that the 51吃瓜 Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) is organizing a side event at the on “Rethinking Social Protection Policies in Africa: The Role of Indigenous Social Protection Schemes as Key Building Blocks”. This side event will contribute substantially to the priority theme of CSocD62 around fostering social development and social justice through effective social policies that consider the local context and development challenges.

Archived Video Recording

The is also available on the OSAA YouTube channel.