A rights-based approach

Social protection involves a commitment to building national social protection systems that are rights-based, universal and inclusive, explicitly including refugees and forcibly displaced communities. The right to social protection is embedded in international and regional human rights instruments, including the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). A core principle of a rights-based approach to social protection is equality of treatment between nationals and non-nationals, which reinforces refugee inclusion.

Supports formalization

By targeting interventions aimed at reducing informality through social security, PROSPECTS addressed poor working conditions experienced by both refugees and host community members in the informal economy. Since a significant share of refugee households is likely to work in the informal economy in some of the PROSPECTS countries, interventions have to accommodate their distinct challenges and needs in accessing social protection. For example, when extending maternity insurance with Kenya’s National Social Security Fund, the PROSPECTS team also considered adaptations to the registration process that would make it accessible to refugee women.  

Deepens technical engagement with HDPN partners

Social protection interventions in PROSPECTS countries drew on a decade of ILO experience working with UNHCR on the inclusion of refugees in social health protection schemes. Partnerships with humanitarian actors were built to ensure the effective inclusion of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons in national systems. The ILO’s operational expertise supported scheme design, financing and delivery. Humanitarian actors provided a unique understanding of forced displacement, and the related needs and politics.

Promotes evidence-based policy dialogue

The development of feasibility studies and costing of including refugees in national health insurance schemes fed into national policy dialogue, legal reforms and effective changes in registration, delivery and management of social (health) protection schemes. By generating evidence, PROSPECTS contributed to the design and operation of inclusive social security schemes, as seen in the government-led social health protection pilots in Ethiopia and Egypt.

Cost-effective in channelling funds

The added value of a strengthened national social protection system was emphasized in contexts where resources for humanitarian assistance were diminishing, necessitating a push for self-reliance grounded in employment. It provides social protection through existing systems and is more cost-effective than creating parallel humanitarian-aid channels. This approach also allows for better alignment of international support and can open dialogue for progressive moves towards sustainability.