Global rapid appraisal of social protection responses to COVID-19

To mitigate the negative socio-economic, health, educational and gender impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries in development contexts expanded social protection vertically (expansion through existing programmes) and horizontally (expansion to people not covered previously). This chapter draws on secondary sources to present an appraisal of global social protection responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and identify the main trends and lessons learnt. The main programmes introduced were social assistance, social insurance and labour market policies, with cash transfers leading the way. Wage subsidies and new labour market policies gained prominence, although this was less prevalent in countries with high rates of informality. Digital tools allowed rapid delivery, albeit with some exclusionary risks for vulnerable groups. To promote human security and further global commitments to sustainable development, improved responsiveness to pandemics must be achieved through building universal and inclusive social protection floors.