This Report summarises the main findings and recommendations emerging from a Research Study on Social Protection and Poverty Reduction in the Caribbean: Examining Policy and Practice, conducted in February-June 2004. The Study is a joint initiative of the Caribbean Development Bank, the UK’s Department for International Development, and the Delegation of the European Commission. Country studies were conducted in Belize, Grenada, and St. Lucia. These identified the key risks and vulnerabilities faced by their populations and assessed the coverage and effectiveness of existing social protection instruments. In addition to these country studies, this Report has made use of similar studies undertaken in Dominica and Jamaica, and benefited from a paper on the evolution of social welfare provision commissioned as part of the study. This Report is intended to support a regional consultation with a view to formulating a social protection framework for the Caribbean.