Governments of the Middle East and North Africa region should develop and fund comprehensive social protection systems that fulfill all people’s right to social security, Human Rights Watch said today, in signing the joint Declaration on Building Universal Social Protection in the Arab Region. A growing body of research, including by the ILO and Development Pathways, a consultancy group that supports developing countries in devising social protection policies, has documented that targeted social protection programs frequently have high margins of error, excluding eligible people and including many who are not. Countries of the Middle East and North Africa are mostly low or middle-income and face challenges financing universal social protection programs, but they can close financing gaps and maximize resources in ways that protect human rights. A 2023 IMF study found that Middle Eastern and North African countries are not effectively using existing tax structures to finance social protection. Wealthier nations should help support governments’ efforts such as by promoting a Global Fund for Social Protection that would direct resources to enable all governments to achieve universal social protection.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 14, 2023 13:39 UTC