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Reinvigorating the social contract and strengthening social cohesion: Social protection responses to COVID‐19

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  • Shahra Razavi
  • Christina Behrendt
  • Mira Bierbaum
  • Ian Orton
  • Lou Tessier

Abstract

The COVID‐19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of those who are inadequately covered by social protection in more and less developed countries alike, and has exacerbated the fragility of a social contract that was already under strain in many countries. A weak social contract in the context of an exceptional crisis poses a very real risk to social cohesion. Nevertheless, many States have reasserted themselves as the guarantor of rights by protecting public health and incomes. By sustaining these measures, economic recovery will be supported which will help minimize risks that may weaken social cohesion. However, this is a fast‐moving, inherently unstable and protracted crisis. Social protection stands at a critical juncture. Decisive policy action will be required to strengthen social protection systems, including floors, as one of the cornerstones of a reinvigorated social contract. La pandémie de la COVID‐19 a mis en lumière la vulnérabilité des individus qui sont couverts de manière inadéquate par la protection sociale, que ce soit dans les pays plus ou moins développés, et a exacerbé la fragilité d'un contrat social qui subissait déjà des pressions dans certains pays. Un faible contrat social dans le contexte d'une crise exceptionnelle fait courir un risque très réel à la cohésion sociale. Néanmoins, de nombreux États se sont réaffirmés comme garants des droits, en protégeant la santé publique et les revenus. Le maintien de ces mesures sous‐tendra la reprise économique, qui permettra de limiter les risques pouvant affaiblir la cohésion sociale. Toutefois, cette crise évolue rapidement, se prolonge et s'avère de nature instable. La protection sociale se trouve à un moment décisif. Des mesures politiques déterminantes seront nécessaires pour renforcer les systèmes de protection sociale, y compris les socles de protection sociale, comme l'un des piliers d'un contrat social redynamisé. La pandemia de COVID‐19 ha puesto de manifiesto la vulnerabilidad de quienes no cuentan con una cobertura adecuada de protección social, tanto en países desarrollados como en desarrollo, y ha exacerbado la fragilidad de un contrato social que ya estaba debilitado en muchos países. Un contrato social débil, en el contexto de una crisis excepcional, plantea un verdadero riesgo para la cohesión social. Sin embargo, muchos Estados se han reafirmado como garantes de los derechos al proteger los ingresos y la salud pública. El mantenimiento de estas medidas propiciará la recuperación económica, que, a su vez, ayudará a minimizar los riesgos de debilitamiento de la cohesión social. Sin embargo, esta crisis avanza rápidamente, es intrínsecamente inestable y será larga. La protección social se encuentra en un punto de inflexión. Serán necesarias medidas de política decisivas para fortalecer los sistemas de protección social, incluidos los pisos de protección social, que constituyen una de las piedras angulares de un contrato social revitalizado. Die COVID‐19‐Pandemie hat die Verwundbarkeit jener an den Tag gelegt, die über keine ausreichende Sozialversicherungsdeckung verfügen, und zwar in weniger und stärker entwickelten Ländern gleichermaßen. Zudem hat sie die Anfälligkeit eines Gesellschaftsvertrags weiter erhöht, der in vielen Ländern bereits unter Druck stand. Ein schwacher Gesellschaftsvertrag im Kontext einer außerordentlichen Krise stellt eine überaus reale Gefahr für den sozialen Zusammenhalt dar. Allerdings haben sich viele Staaten als Garanten der Ansprüche erneut bewährt, indem sie das öffentliche Gesundheitswesen und die Einkommen absicherten. Mit Beibehaltung dieser Maßnahmen wird die Wirtschaftserholung unterstützt, was wiederum hilft, Risiken, die den sozialen Zusammenhalt schwächen könnten, zu minimieren. Die aktuelle Krise entwickelt sich jedoch rasch, ist an sich instabil und dauert an. Der Sozialschutz steht an einem Scheideweg. Entschlossenes politisches Handeln ist nötig, um die Sozialschutzsysteme, einschließlich einer sozialen Grundsicherung, als einer der Eckpfeiler eines neu erstarkten Gesellschaftsvertrags zu stärken. Пандемия COVID‐19 выявила уязвимость тех, кто недостаточно охвачен социальной защитой, как в более, так и в менее развитых странах. Она усугубила хрупкость общественного договора, который и без того находился в критическом состоянии во многих странах. Слабый общественный договор в контексте чрезвычайного кризиса является реальным риском для сплочённости общества. Тем не менее многие государства вновь заявили о себе как о гаранте прав, который защищает здоровье и доходы населения. Использование этих мер будет способствовать восстановлению экономики, что поможет минимизировать риски, которые могут ослабить сплочённость общества. Однако стоит отметить, что этот кризис имеет быстроразвивающийся, нестабильный и затяжной характер. Социальная защита переживает критический момент. Потребуются решительные политические меры для укрепления систем социальной защиты, включая минимальные гарантии, как одного из краеугольных камней перезагрузки общественного договора. 新冠疫情暴露了无论在发达国家还是欠发达国家, 未被社会保护充分覆盖的群体都是脆弱的, 疫情也使许多国家本已承受重压的社会契约更加脆弱。脆弱的社会契约叠加超常危机, 为社会凝聚力造成了切实的风险。但是, 许多国家通过保障民众健康和收入, 重新证明了自己作为权利捍卫者的能力。维持这些措施将支持经济复苏, 有助于最大限度地降低可能削弱社会凝聚力的风险。然而, 此次危机发展迅猛、极不稳定且旷日持久。社会保护正处于关键节点。需要采取果断的政策行动, 加强包括保障底线在内的社会保护体系, 使其成为重振社会契约的基石。 بوصفها إحدى ركائز إعادة تنشيط العقد الاجتماعي.‐كشفت جائحة كوفيدالأرضيات19 عن هشاشة الأشخاص غير المشمولين بشكل مناسب بالحماية الاجتماعية في البلدان المتقدمة والنامية على حد سواء، وفاقمت من وهن العقد الاجتماعي الذي يتواجد على المحك في العديد من البلدان. ويطرح عقد اجتماعي ضعيف في سياق أزمة استثنائية خطراً حقيقياً على التناغم الاجتماعي. إلا أن العديد من الدول قد أعادت التأكيد على أنها حامية للحقوق من خلال حماية الصحة العمومية والأجور. وسيحظى التعافي الاقتصادي، من خلال مواصلة هذه التدابير، على الدعم الذي سيسمح له بالتقليل من المخاطر التي من شأنها أن تضعف التناغم الاجتماعي. ومع ذلك، فإن هذه الأزمة أزمة متغيرة بسرعة وتتسم بعدم الاستقرار وقد يطول أمدها. إن الحماية الاجتماعية تتواجد في منعطف خطير. لذا ينبغي اتخاذ خطوات سياساتية حاسمة لتعزيز نظم الحماية الاجتماعية، بما يشمل A pandemia de COVID‐19 expôs a vulnerabilidade daqueles que estão inadequadamente cobertos pela proteção social nos países mais e menos desenvolvidos, e exacerbou a fragilidade de um contrato social que já estava sob pressão em muitos países. Um contrato social despreparado no contexto de uma crise excepcional representa um risco muito real para a coesão social. No entanto, muitos governos se reafirmaram como responsáveis pelos direitos, protegendo a saúde pública e a renda. Sustentar estas medidas significa apoiar a recuperação econômica, o que ajudará a minimizar os riscos que podem enfraquecer a coesão social. No entanto, trata‐se de uma crise de rápida evolução, inerentemente instável e prolongada. A proteção social está em um momento crítico. Será necessária uma ação política decisiva para fortalecer os sistemas de proteção social, inclusive pisos, como um dos alicerces de um contrato social revigorado.

Suggested Citation

  • Shahra Razavi & Christina Behrendt & Mira Bierbaum & Ian Orton & Lou Tessier, 2020. "Reinvigorating the social contract and strengthening social cohesion: Social protection responses to COVID‐19," International Social Security Review, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 73(3), pages 55-80, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:intssr:v:73:y:2020:i:3:p:55-80
    DOI: 10.1111/issr.12245
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    1. Brown, Caitlin & Ravallion, Martin & van de Walle, Dominique, 2018. "A poor means test? Econometric targeting in Africa," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 109-124.
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    2. Eliud Okumu Ongowo, 2022. "A Qualitative Analysis of the Effects of Social Protection Programs for Street Children on Social Cohesion in Kenya," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(3), pages 1308-1319, June.
    3. Roosa Lambin & Milla Nyyssölä & Alexis Bernigaud, 2022. "Social protection for working-age women in Tanzania: Exploring past policy trajectories and simulating future paths," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-82, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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