UNICEF and a number of partners, including the World Bank, recently came together to consider and outline the importance of furthering social protection and ensuring it is child-sensitive.  The Joint Statement that was created aims to build greater consensus on the importance of child-sensitive social protection, particularly during this time of economic crisis.  It lays out the particular vulnerabilities that children and families face, the ways that social protection can impact children even when not focused on them, and outlines principles and approaches for undertaking child-sensitive social protection. In the future, it is hoped that the statement will support further dialogue among stakeholders on the evolving policy and programming aspects of child-sensitive social protection. Download this publication (1.45mb pdf).

The publication has four specific objectives: (a) to discuss the role of retirement income transfers in the context of a strategy for expanding old-age income security and preventing poverty among the elderly; (b) to take stock of international experience with the design and implementation of these programs; (c) to identify key policy issues that need to receive attention during the design and implementation phases; and (d) to offer some preliminary policy recommendations and propose next steps. Download this publication.

This report is the result of a review of the implementation of the SP&L sector strategy. It reveals the progress that the World Bank has made in understanding the importance of social risk management for poverty reduction and the critical contribution it makes to equitable and sustainable growth. The breadth of analytical work and lending operations across the areas of core competence that have been implemented in all regions is an indicator of the influence the strategy has had on poor and vulnerable people in the World Bank’s partner countries. Download this publication.