UNRISD - The Human Rights-Based Approach to Social Protection

October 2016 / excerpt from PDF

This Issue Brief by UNRISD introduces readers to the human rights-based approach to social protection. It highlights the fundamental principles of this approach, which are explored in detail at socialprotection-humanrights.org , and directs readers to the key human rights instruments and other tools that are available to help policy makers and practitioners advocate for and operationalize a rights-based approach to social protection.

The idea of social protection has gained momentum since 2000, coinciding with the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals agenda—and although the MDGs themselves gave insufficient attention to social protection, the idea has now taken root. Indeed, as a way of transforming our world towards greater equity, social justice and sustainability, social protection figures prominently in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was agreed by governments in September 2015. It receives explicit attention in three of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 1 (End poverty in all its forms everywhere), Goal 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls) and Goal 10 (Reduce inequality within and among countries). Learn more (download PDF), or read online»