Icon Our WorkUniversal social security for the realisation of human rights: a collection of briefs

Article 22 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security”.

2022 has brought challenges to social security systems across the globe, including the war in Ukraine, a push for fiscal austerity threatening investment in social security, continuous humanitarian crises, and terrible climate-related disasters.

In this collection, the Development Pathways team reflects on 2022 through the lens of Article 22. With a foreword by senior social policy specialist, Alexandra Barrantes, the four two-page briefs explore how universal social security can protect human rights. They examine how social security can be used to effectively support women, refugees, and people affected by economic and climate crises.