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Versión Español | October 2013

SEDI News

Cooperación en protección social: intercambiando experiencias, expandiendo oportunidades

In recent years, social protection has become a key element in the fight against poverty, inequality and social exclusion in the region, and a priority in countries’ social development agendas. Thus the interest of OAS member States to learn from the experiences of their peers and share solutions and best practices in this field of action through the Inter-American Social Protection Network (IASPN) coordinated by the Department of Economic and Social Development of the OAS-SEDI.

The IASPN cooperation model is based on the concept of partnership for development of the OAS, which is an inclusive approach that assumes that all member States - regardless of their development level - have experiences and knowledge to exchange. It also responds to country demands, adapting every experience and solution to the priorities and context of each country.

Since its establishment in 2009 the IASPN has promoted cooperation in the area of social protection between the Ministries of Social Development and other government agencies from member States, with the financial support of the US Department of State and counterpart  funding from host countries of the various activities. Other actors have also been involved in this process, including subregional cooperation mechanisms, other international agencies and non-governmental actors that have a social protection agenda.

Working in a network environment enhanced by its virtual platform enables a multi-directional flow of knowledge among members and the integration of an inter-sectoral perspective through the involvement a wide range of national and international actors in the field of social protection; thus building a community of practice that goes beyond the sum of its parts. Moreover, the virtual discussions and exchanges that take place before IASPN workshops facilitate a more efficient use of time and resources during face-to-face exchanges.

In September 2013, two IASPN workshops were held following this cooperation model (see below for more information).

Workshop on Multidimensional Poverty Indexes. Good Practices and Lessons Learned from Latin America and Europe. Colombia, 18-19 of September, 2013.

Workshop on Multidimensional Poverty Indexes

Responding to the demand made by various countries to deepen discussions and share progress in Multidimensional Poverty Indexes (MPI), the IASPN and the Government of Colombia organized this workshop with support from Eurosocial II and ECLAC. A total of 13 countries from Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe participated in working sessions where the poverty measurement tools used in different countries were presented, identifying the sources of information used and possible dimensions and variables to include in MPIs. The MPIs from Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay were presented in detail, showcasing the wide range of perspectives and solutions in the region, both in terms of theory and policy.

"It was a very important forum to learn from other experiences and receive feedback, evidencing future challenges and tasks to improve the MPIPMI that is already being implemented in Colombia". Representative of the National Planning Department of Colombia.
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"A particularly valuable aspect involved the opportunity to exchange experiences, recommendations and comments. My sincere appreciation to the Inter-American Social Protection Network". Representative of the National Council for Social Development Policy Evaluation from Mexico.

 

Third Caribbean Workshop on Social Protection and International Cooperation. Barbados, 26 and 27 of September, 2013.

Third Caribbean Workshop on Social Protection and International Cooperation

The workshop facilitated the exchange of experiences, best practices and knowledge on social protection by member States through an innovative methodology - developed by the IASPN and the Government of Colombia in the cooperation workshop held in Santa Marta in 2012 - in which 15 social protection experiences were presented (supply) on topics such as Conditional Cash Transfer Programs (PTC), targeting systems, and graduation and financial inclusion programs. As a result, 32 potential cooperation activities in social protection were identified (demand), some of which are likely to receive support from the IASPN and other international agencies. A total of 15 countries from the region represented by their social development ministries, 2 non-governmental institutions and 8 international and subregional agencies participated in the meeting.

"It is the first time that I participate in a workshop of this nature and feel that knowledge and experience were effectively exchanged and transferred " Representative of the Ministry of Human Development and Social Transformation from Belize.
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"We look forward to continue working in the field of social protection and to implement best practices to assist the most vulnerable groups"
Representative of the Ministry of Social Services Dominica. 


Cooperation on social protection in numbers:

·    3 bilateral cooperation activities involving representatives of ministries responsible for social protection programs from Chile, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago, and an expert on Financial inclusion from Mexico ( 2012-2013 ).
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1 workshop for multilateral exchange and training on Multidimensional Poverty Indexes with the participation of 13 countries from Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe in response to countries’ demands.
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5 subregional workshops on multilateral cooperation for social protection involving 29 member States from the Region (2010-2013), allowing the exchange of experiences and knowledge between peers on multiple social protection programs.
·    1 regional virtual platform with relevant information and over 1,000 English and Spanish resources that facilitate exchanges on social protection among the various actors involved in this field and that provides continuity to cooperation processes between member States.

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