The troubled road to rights-based life cycle social protection in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

The session will be in Arabic and English, with simultaneous interpretation provided.

In this context, financing through loans and grants, and proxy-means targeted social safety nets dominate the social protection framework. Additionally, institutional fragmentation and coordination challenges among social protection actors hinder the emergence of unified approaches and systems.

The outbreak of war in Gaza on 7 October 2023, compounded by ongoing escalations in the West Bank, has significantly escalated social protection needs, placing immense pressure on existing social protection systems. While the humanitarian response has been expanded, this surge highlights, once again, the imperative for improved coordination between, and anchoring of, social assistance programs within the National Social Protection system.

Amidst complex and protracted crises, recent years have nonetheless witnessed positive signs of change in the field of social protection. In OPT, national dialogue on social security reforms was re-initiated, renewing expectation for the gradual implementation of social insurance for private-sector workers and their families. In 2024, the first-ever rights-based social allowances for persons with severe disabilities and older persons were rolled-out, while the conversation around the Humanitarian, Development and Peace (HDP) Nexus in social protection has gained momentum.

The key components of life cycle guarantees are being developed, building the foundations for achieving nationally defined social protection floors. These are fragile developments, and the tragic circumstances unfolding risk undermining the new gains. To what extent can recent reforms and coordination efforts pave the way to integrated and rights-based social protection systems? Is there a prospect of complementarity between the contributory and non-contributory pillars? What are the critical conditions to consolidate and entrench the progress made?

The session will critically examine recent developments in the contributory and non-contributory social protection landscape in OPT, aiming to assess whether they can chart a course to sustainable change.

Opening remarks: Michele Scala, SP Programme Technical Officer, ILO

Speakers and discussants

Momin Badarna, National Project Coordinator, ILO

Ms Manal Ramada, Director General of Planning and Aid Management, Ministry of Social Development

Bilal Fallah, Researcher, Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute-MAS

Luca Sangalli, National Cash Working Group Coordinator 

Cosma Gabaglio, Social Policy Officer, UNICEF Palestine
 

Moderator: Farah Al Shami, Senior Fellow and Program Director - Social Protection, Arab Reform Initiative (ARI)

Closing remarks: Magid Fathallah, Regional Coordinator, ISSA

This will be the fifth session of the Webinar Series "Arab Social Protection Compass. Towards Integrated Approaches for Universal Social Protection", organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the International Social Security Association (ISSA). The initiative intends to put a spotlight on reforms and programmes geared towards fostering integration within social protection across the region and beyond, while contributing to stir discussion at the national level. Throughout the series, speakers will delve into both the the theoretical underpinnings and practical implementations of specific reforms, aiming to inspire a broad audience of practitioners to replicate or scale up similar interventions.