The recently released UNICEF Social Protection Strategic Framework and the World Bank Social Protection and Labor strategy call for taking a systems approach to social protection as a way to help countries, communities, families and children enhance resilience, equity and opportunity.

This note outlines common ground in the World Bank and UNICEF approaches to building social protection systems, using a focus on children to illustrate the premise and promise of a systems approach. It is part of a broader commitment by both agencies to increase collaboration across different stakeholders – governments, development partners and others – in developing and strengthening social protection systems and expanding their coverage.