Social protection for inclusive development. European Report on Development (ERD) 2010

The ERD 2010 was officially launched on 7 December 2010 at the European Development Days, in Brussels. What can be done to build resilience and reduce vulnerability to shocks' According to this report, the answer lies in social protection, which is rapidly becoming a priority in the development agenda, both for donors and local governments. The report focuses on the role of formal and informal mechanisms as a means to enhance the resilience of Sub Saharan countries when faced with shocks (short term) and structural vulnerabilities such as poverty traps (long term). The ERD identifies seven priority areas for a future EU development agenda on social protection in Africa. These include promoting and supporting comprehensive social protection systems, aligning with domestic priorities, and tailoring intervention modalities to the context and needs of each country. It also encompasses the need to tackle the challenge of financial affordability, as well as the need to promote knowledge-building and the sharing of information, including South-South partnerships.

 Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute - December 2010