Socialprotection.org Webinar - Donor perspectives: What is the potential for forging stronger links between humanitarian CVA and social protection in light of COVID-19 and how can this be financed?

It is recognised in the current response to COVID-19 that both social protection and humanitarian actors must work together in different ways across the ‘nexus’ depending on country context, and that one actor alone cannot and should not do it all.

In order to address the wide range of needs emanating from the pandemic, and particularly those of a socio-economic nature, the use of cash has been the response of choice for governments expanding their systems (for social assistance, public works, unemployment, pension schemes, etc.). The same is true for humanitarian actors (unconditional cash, cash for work, cash+, enhanced minimum expenditure baskets).

This webinar will provide the opportunity to hear from donors on the points noted above. The webinar will provide the opportunity for key donors to :

• Share their agency’s position and experiences on linking humanitarian cash with social protection.
• Shed light on the volume of funds that have been provided for cash transfers in response to COVID-19 and what proportion has specifically supported the linkage between social protection and humanitarian cash.
• Explain what guides decision-making to allocate funding to efforts on linking humanitarian cash with social protection.
• Give an idea of the challenges/barriers that donors face in supporting the linkage between social protection and humanitarian cash.
• Highlight any emerging opportunities and key learning.

Facilitator:

Lois Austin – Grand Bargain Sub-Group KML Consultant

Moderator:

Nupur Kukrety, Policy Specialist in the Social Policy Section, UNICEF

Panellists:

Aileen O’Donovan, Social Protection Policy Lead, Irish Aid

Doerte Bosse, Social Protection, European Commission - International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO)

William Martin, Economic Recovery and Market Systems Technical Advisor, USAID, Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs

Heidi Carrubba – Humanitarian Advisor, Basic Assistance in Crisis Programme (BASIC), Social Protection Team, FCDO

This webinar is part of the Linking Social Protection with humanitarian cash webinar series, of the Grand Bargain Cash Sub Group on linking social protection and humanitarian cash transfers co-led by UNICEF, IFRC, and FCDO.