Dismantling of social protection in UK highlighted by UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty
16th November: A fifth of the population lives in poverty in the UK and this number is projected to increase as a result of the “systematic dismantling of social protection,”...
From Undeserving Poor to Rights Holder: Working Paper
In our first working paper, Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, discusses the importance of having a human rights approach to social protection....
Gauntlet thrown down to social protection authorities to take forward realisation of rights
12th December: Social protection authorities can ensure programmes respect key human rights principles by assessing the impact on disadvantaged citizens and empowering them to seek redress. This is the message...
Tackling Mental Health: a FundaMental starting point
Everyone’s talking about mental health – particularly its effect on the world’s poorest countries. But what do we do about it? Where do we start? Jessica Mackenzie suggests four crucial steps.
Lost in translation in social protection: rights and development
Those of us working on social protection have, most likely, interacted with both the human rights and international development worlds and noticed their somewhat different approaches to social protection. While there is some overlap between the approaches, they often struggle to work collaboratively. We need to develop a shared language...
Poverty targeted schemes could face legal challenges, warns former UN Special Rapporteur
If countries continue to use targeted social protection schemes that fail to reach those in poverty, they may face legal challenges. This comment came from former UN Special Rapporteur on...
Social Accountability in the Delivery of Social Protection – Technical Guidance Note
This note offers guidance to social protection practitioners on how to strengthen social accountability in the delivery of social protection.
Looking afresh at social protection programmes, with a human rights lens
Using a human rights lens to look at how cash transfer programmes are designed and implemented brings a number of considerations into view that would otherwise go unseen. A crucial one is that human rights principles should form an integral part of the key processes of cash transfer programmes and...
Tackling exclusion, pensions progress, citizen action: a year in review
2017 has been a busy year for Development Pathways. We have redoubled our efforts to share the experience and knowledge we have gained working on building the strategies and systems needed to ensure evidence-led, inclusive programmes that realise human rights. Our most-read resources reflect the evidence we have provided on the...
Proxy means testing: failing both the economics test, and the rights test?
The use of proxy means-tests in social protection defies human rights and makes no economic sense, so nations must instead investigate options for implementing an inclusive social protection floor, writes Dr Michael Cichon. Paragraph 25 of the UDHR states “Everyone has… the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability,...