Interregional Workshop Advances Adaptive Social Protection to Accelerate Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

An interregional workshop held in Livingstone, Zambia, from 8-10 July 2025, convened policymakers from Africa, Asia, and the Pacific to reposition social protection as a primary driver for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the event focused on leveraging data, innovative tools, and cross-regional collaboration to build resilient and inclusive social protection systems. The discussions underscored a strategic shift from viewing social protection as a temporary safety net to an integral component of sustainable development, directly addressing poverty, inequality, and climate vulnerability.

Aligning Social Protection with Key SDGs

The workshop’s agenda was intrinsically linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with a focus on practical strategies to accelerate progress on several interconnected goals.

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The central theme was the eradication of poverty in all its forms. Participants explored empirical tools, such as ECA’s multidimensional poverty dashboard and ESCAP’s evidence-based targeting models, to move beyond income metrics. These tools enable governments to understand the nuances of poverty and design interventions that precisely target the most vulnerable, including rural and informal populations, thereby directly tackling both poverty and inequality.
• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) & SDG 13 (Climate Action): The meeting addressed the critical need for adaptive social protection systems that can respond to climate-related shocks. The case of host country Zambia, which is facing drought-induced hunger, highlighted the importance of systems that can scale up in response to climate events, ensuring food security and building community resilience in line with SDG 2 and SDG 13.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) & SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Discussions recognized that robust social protection provides a foundation for inclusive economic growth. By expanding coverage to informal workers and addressing risks across an individual’s lifecycle, these systems support economic stability and create pathways to decent work. A lifecycle approach, as championed by Malawi, is particularly crucial for addressing vulnerabilities faced by women and youth at different life stages.

Country Experiences in SDG Implementation

Delegations shared practical experiences in reforming their national systems to better align with SDG targets. These case studies provided actionable insights for peer countries.

1. Namibia: The country reported significant progress in digitizing its social grant system, a key step toward strengthening institutional capacity (SDG 16) and improving the efficiency and transparency of service delivery to beneficiaries.
2. Tanzania: Officials detailed efforts to expand social protection beyond traditional contribution-based models. This strategic expansion aims to ensure broader coverage for informal and rural populations, directly advancing SDG 10 by leaving no one behind.
3. Rwanda: The delegation shared insights on developing integrated social registries. This data-centric approach is fundamental to building adaptive systems that can adjust benefits in response to inflation and other economic shocks, contributing to SDG 1.
4. Malawi: As a global leader in the Social Protection Accelerator, Malawi is implementing a new policy based on a lifecycle approach. This model addresses risks across all age groups, providing comprehensive support that is critical for sustained poverty reduction.
5. The Maldives: Representatives from the Maldives highlighted the challenge of service delivery across 187 islands. They emphasized the critical role of real-time data and adaptive targeting to overcome geographic barriers and ensure equitable access, a core tenet of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Strengthening Partnerships and Institutional Capacity (SDG 17 & SDG 16)

A recurring theme was that effective social protection requires strong institutions and collaborative partnerships. Amson Sibanda of UN DESA emphasized the need to enhance the capacity of public institutions to utilize data and evidence in policymaking. The workshop itself served as a model for SDG 17, fostering a South-South learning environment where countries with diverse economic and geographic profiles—from Least Developed Countries like Malawi to Small Island Developing States like the Maldives—could exchange practical solutions.

Delegates, including Hudha Haleem of the Maldives Bureau of Statistics, stressed that progress depends on breaking down institutional silos. Enhanced collaboration between data producers and programme implementers was identified as essential for making social protection systems more responsive, inclusive, and effective in achieving their development objectives.

Conclusion and Forward Agenda

The workshop concluded with a consensus on the need for continued technical support, capacity building, and knowledge sharing. Participants affirmed that to future-proof development strategies, policymakers require not only innovative tools but also the institutional readiness to implement them effectively. The insights and alliances formed in Livingstone are intended to build momentum for upcoming global forums on social development, reinforcing the global commitment to building universal, adaptive, and sustainable social protection systems that empower communities and accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article’s central theme is strengthening social protection systems to respond to poverty. It explicitly mentions tools like ECA’s “multidimensional poverty dashboard” designed to help governments respond to poverty with greater precision.
2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger
   • The article notes that Zambia, the host country for the meeting, is “contending with drought-linked hunger,” an issue that social protection systems are designed to mitigate.
3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The challenges of “youth unemployment, and informality” in Tanzania are highlighted. The discussion on expanding social protection to cover “informal and rural populations” also connects to this goal.
4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article opens by stating that “widening inequality” is a key challenge governments are facing. The entire effort is framed around creating “inclusive social protection systems” to ensure broader coverage and reduce disparities.
5. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The article discusses using social protection to respond to “climate threats” and build resilience. It mentions building “adaptive systems” and specifically refers to Zambia’s “drought-linked hunger” as a climate-related challenge.
6. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The event described is a collaboration between UN bodies (UN DESA, ECA, ESCAP) and governments from Africa and Asia. It is an example of interregional cooperation to share knowledge, tools, and technical assistance to achieve development goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 1 (No Poverty):
   • Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable. The article is entirely focused on this, discussing a “UN effort to promote universal, adaptive, and inclusive social protection systems worldwide.” Examples include Namibia digitizing its “social grant system” and Tanzania’s efforts to ensure “broader coverage, especially for informal and rural populations.”
   • Target 1.5: By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters. The article states that social protection is being “reimagined as a driver of resilience” and is a tool for governments to respond to “economic shocks, and climate threats.”
2. Under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger):
   • Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people… to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round. The mention of “drought-linked hunger” in Zambia directly connects to this target, as social protection systems are a key mechanism for ensuring food access during crises.
3. Under SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth):
   • Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support… formalization. The article mentions Tanzania is navigating “informality” and that social protection is being expanded to cover “informal and rural populations,” which is a key step towards formalization and providing decent work protections.
4. Under SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):
   • Target 10.4: Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality. The article focuses on refining “social protection” as a primary policy tool to combat “widening inequality” and create “inclusive” systems. Rwanda’s interest in “adjusting benefit levels in line with inflation” is a specific policy adjustment aimed at this target.
5. Under SDG 13 (Climate Action):
   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article highlights the need for “adaptive systems” to respond to “climate threats.” The Maldives’ challenge of delivering services across dispersed islands, which are vulnerable to climate change, underscores the need for adaptive social protection.
6. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
   • Target 17.9: Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries. The workshop itself, providing “training and ongoing technical assistance” from UN bodies to countries like Cambodia, the Maldives, and Rwanda, is a direct example of this target in action.
   • Target 17.18: Enhance capacity-building support to developing countries… to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data. The article heavily emphasizes data, mentioning the introduction of “empirical tools,” “evidence-based targeting models,” the use of “social registries and data integration,” and the shift to “administrative records” and “real-time data” to improve policymaking.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For Target 1.3 (Implement social protection systems):
   • Indicator (Implied): Proportion of the population covered by social protection systems. This is implied by phrases like “broader coverage,” “expanding coverage,” and reaching “informal and rural populations.” Malawi’s “lifecycle approach” suggests disaggregation by age groups.
2. For Target 1.5 (Build resilience of the poor):
   • Indicator (Implied): Implementation of adaptive social protection systems. The article mentions building “adaptive systems” and using “real-time data to target and adapt social protection” as key strategies, which can be measured as an indicator of progress.
3. For Target 10.4 (Adopt policies for greater equality):
   • Indicator (Mentioned): Adjustment of social protection benefit levels. The article explicitly mentions Rwanda’s focus on “adjusting benefit levels in line with inflation,” which is a measurable indicator of the adequacy and responsiveness of social protection policies.
4. For Target 17.18 (Enhance data availability and use):
   • Indicator (Mentioned): Use of administrative data for policymaking. The article notes that many countries are considering a “shift from survey data to administrative records to better design policies.”
   • Indicator (Mentioned): Development of integrated data systems. The discussion on “social registries and data integration” and the need to work “across silos” between “data producers and programme implementers” points to the development of such systems as a key progress marker.
   • Indicator (Mentioned): Use of disaggregated and real-time data. The article highlights the use of ECA’s “multidimensional poverty dashboard” which shows “what kind of poverty they face,” and the Maldives’ need for “real-time data” to manage geographic realities, implying the use of disaggregated data as an indicator.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: uneca.org