The Role of Civil SocietyBy Edmond Odaba,

APSPThe RBA Seminar

6th Nov 2012Nairobi

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

• 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

APSP Activities

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