(New York) – Governments and international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank should create and support universal social security systems in accordance with their human rights obligations, Human Rights Watch and Development Pathways say. Today, I released a question-and-answer document. On that subject. At the intersection of conflict, economic crisis and the shocks of climate change, long-term government investment in universal social security is more important than ever.
Social security is based on the premise that people enjoy rights at all stages of life, regardless of their circumstances. This includes government programs that provide assistance in a variety of situations that may affect an individual’s ability to earn an adequate income, such as illness, disability, old age, unemployment, and child care. However, more than half of the world’s population does not have access to any form of social security. Even in wealthier countries, wide disparities in coverage and adequacy exist, limiting the effectiveness of social security systems.
“Social security is an important tool for governments to reduce inequality and protect people from experiencing poverty, hunger, and homelessness,” said Lena Simmet, senior poverty and inequality researcher at Human Rights Watch. said. She said: “As the economic crisis, food crisis and climate crisis deepen, governments need to build security systems that protect human rights, not cut existing programs.”
In the Q&A document, each organization explains the human rights obligations and responsibilities of governments and organizations that influence social spending, and the importance of universal social security to meet them. We also discuss the basics of universal social security, how it can reduce and prevent poverty and inequality, protect human rights, including in times of crisis, and identify obstacles for governments to provide social security. We will also explain how you can overcome them.
Social security for all members of society is both a human right and a necessity for the realization of other economic, social and cultural rights, in particular the right to an adequate standard of living, including the right to food and adequate housing. It is also a condition. International law requires governments to provide social security and ensure access to quality public services essential to human rights, such as education, health care, water and sanitation.
More than 4 billion people lack access to any social protection, and the term is often used by United Nations agencies and international development agencies. This lack of coverage is most concentrated in low- and middle-income countries, which face large funding gaps between current investments and what is needed to support basic social security levels. Coverage is the lowest in Africa, with only 17.4 percent of the population covered by at least one form of social security benefit. Although coverage is higher in Europe and North America, Human Rights Watch has documented the failure of many wealthy countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Spain, to realize the right to social security and an adequate standard of living. ing.
In a Q&A document, the organizations explain how governments can address gaps in social security coverage and adequacy. It also explains why governments need to move from narrowly tested, targeted programs to more universal systems.
The organization focuses on how countries can close financing gaps in ways that protect human rights, including through progressive taxes on wealth and the excess profits of big business, combating tax evasion and avoidance, and eradicating illicit financial flows. It outlines what can be done. Human Rights Watch also calls on rich countries to help promote fair social security financing by promoting a World Social Protection Fund that complies with human rights requirements.
Governments should address gaps in social security coverage and sufficiency and urge creditor countries to engage in rights-respecting debt restructuring processes to enable governments to finance universal social security. Human Rights Watch and Development Pathways said. Powerful international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank need to ensure that their lending programs do not violate the right to social security, including imposing strict limits on government spending as a condition of lending programs.
“Universal, rights-aligned social security systems are much more effective than poverty-targeted systems at reducing poverty and achieving fairer outcomes for all members of society.” said Dr Stephen Kidd, CEO of Development Pathways. “And they are more likely to support economic growth and strengthen a progressive social contract, which means they are both fiscally and politically sustainable.”