120 likes | 229 Views
The Role of Civil Society By Edmond Odaba, APSP. The RBA Seminar 6 th Nov 2012 Nairobi. Content. Background - Socio-Economic Facts in Africa Africa Platform for Social protection (APSP) APSP Activities Role of Civil Society in Social Protection Role of Government in Social Protection
E N D
The Role of Civil SocietyBy Edmond Odaba, APSP The RBA Seminar 6th Nov 2012 Nairobi
Content • Background - Socio-Economic Facts in Africa • Africa Platform for Social protection (APSP) • APSP Activities • Role of Civil Society in Social Protection • Role of Government in Social Protection • Benefits of RBA in the context of Social protection • Benefits of Social Protection in Africa
Socio-Economic Facts in Africa • Economic growth but few jobs enterprises are small & informal with limited technical & soft skills • 200million or 20% of Africans are aged 15-24 and they form 60% of the unemployed • Food insecurity – 95% of agro land is rain fed & employs 70% of Africans, faced with draught, natural disasters, etc • HIV/AIDS-SSA accounts for majority of globally cases – this erodes savings & human capital • Climate change vulnerability & variability in whether partners - threat to Agriculture, loss of 1 to 2% of GDP Source – AfDB indicators 2011, World Bank 2010
The Africa Platform for Social protection • A network of national platforms of CSO working to promote social contract between states and citizens • APSP supports CSOs to engage in shaping of SP Policies, Programmes & Practice in Africa • Currently 30 national platforms are affiliated to APSP • APSP envisions an African Continent free from Poverty & Vulnerability
APSP Activities • Awareness & capacity building for SP platforms • Support advocacy & scrutiny of SP policies & program • Coalition building for sharing information, good practice & peer support • Research and evidence gathering for advocacy work • Areas of Advocacy include; HIV/AIDS sensitive Social Protection, Gender equality & Mainstreaming, PWD, Child Rights & Protection, Poverty & livelihoods strengthening, Human Rights, Climate Change and Access to Social Services • Mobilizing international support for Social Protection
The Role National level Platforms of Civil Society • Enhance coordination & collaboration • Common voice in engaging with governments during formulation & implementation of SP policies • M&E and evidence based advocacy • Create awareness & demand for SP at the grass roots • Capacity building, peer review of SP practices with govts • Scrutiny of budgets & budget allocations to SP • Support governments during targeting & identifying beneficiaries of SP programs • Ensure protection of rights & Privacy of information of beneficiaries
What Civil Society Needs • Enhanced capacity of African CSO’s in order to provide the roles mentioned above • Funding from all sources including from bilateral sources • Partnerships with Northern NGO’s, but not paternalistic relationships • Avoid duplication and instead improve coordination within CS and with government
Role of Government • Develop policies that increase equal opportunities for meaningful social, economic, and political participation, as well as access to basic services and social protection • At the very least, minimum essential levels of non-contributory social protection for the really poor – not as a policy option, but rather as a legal obligation under international & national human rights law.
Role of Government • Enable access by those who suffer from structural discrimination such as women, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, minorities and older persons. • Social protection mechanisms must be accompanied by culturally and gender-sensitive good quality social services which take into account the obstacles faced by women & PLWHIV/AIDS in accessing such services.
Benefits of Rights Based Approach to Social protection • Human rights standards assist in building social consensus • RBA mobilizes durable commitments at the national and international levels • It facilitates efficient use of resources by promoting access to information and fighting corruption, • The Approach ensures participation of the beneficiaries in all stages of the programmes. • RBA ensures protection of the rights and upholds the dignity of beneficiaries
Impacts of Social Protection • Direct impact on poverty and hunger • Improved health and education outcomes • Productive investments leading to capital accumulation • Investment in children breaks intergenerational poverty trap • Protects against shocks • Supports local markets • Supports dignity & gender equality
The End eodaba@africacsp.org