Media ADVISORY
International Conference on Social Protection in the contexts of fragility and forced displacement
What: Debate and discussion on the search for innovative solutions to the world’s most complex and protracted emergencies.
Opportunities to meet and interview experts on the growing role played by social protection in assisting the most vulnerable families and children in times of conflict and other crises.
Who: Experts on social protection from UN agencies, the European Commission and other donors (see list below)
Where: SQUARE Meeting Centre, Glass Entrance, Mont des Arts/Kunstberg, B-1000 Brussels http://sp-fragility-displacement.onetec.eu
When: Thursday, 28th & Friday, 29th September 2017; 9:00 – 17:00
Issue: Fresh and practical solutions that can meet the long-term needs of people caught up in the world’s most protracted crises will be at the centre of this two-days conference in Brussels.
Over the last two decades, an increasing number of low- and middle-income countries have started implement social protection programmes, including cash transfers and other means of strengthening people’s ability to access basic goods, services and trainings.
Evidence demonstrates that a set of protective policies – known as social protection – can help reduce poverty, inequality, and childhood deprivation and has long-term positive impacts on human capital development. Social protection can unlock the productive potential of the poorest, increase local economic growth and micro-economic activity and even stimulate aggregate growth.
Social protection is an investment, not a cost.
Establishing effective social protection in the context of protracted crises and displaced populations is more complex, but can play an important role both on humanitarian and developmental fronts.
Experts and field personnel from UN agencies (UNHCR, WFP, FAO, UNICEF) and representatives of the European Commission will be available for interviews.
UNHCR
- Sivanka Dhanapala, UNHCR Representative in Iran, who can speak about social protection for refugees in Iran, with a focus on health insurance (UPHI)
- Maria Clara Martin, UNHCR Representative in Ecuador, who can speak about social protection for refugees in Ecuador, with a focus on graduation approach
- Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Deputy Representative in Lebanon, who can speak on cash program as an integral part of UNHCR’s protection response in Lebanon
- Andrew Mitchel, expert on Social Protection, who can speak about the UNHCR comprehensive strategy for a social protection system that can benefit to both refugee and host populations
WFP
- Carlo Scaramella, WFP Deputy Regional Director, Middle East, North Africa, Europe and CIS countries
- Jonathan Campbell, WFP Deputy Country Director for Turkey, who can speak about social protection from his local perspective, focusing on the massive Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) programme funded by the European Commission – DG ECHO
BMZ & GIZ
- On 28th September: Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven, Director-General, Department for Global Issues, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
- On 29th September, Andreas Proksch, Director General of the Sector and Global Programmes Department, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
FAO
- Dominique Burgeon - FAO Director of Emergency and Rehabilitation Division and StrategicProgramme Leader – Resilience
- Natalia Winder Rossi - Deputy Director,SocialPoliciesandRuralInstitutions Division, Social Protection Team Leader
- Julius Jackson, FAO Technical Officer - Protracted Crises
UNICEF
- Ted Chaiban, Director Programmes, UNICEF HQ, New York
- Alexandra Yuster, Associate Director, Programme Division; Global Chief, Social Inclusion and Policy, UNICEF HQ, New York
- Nupur Kukrety, Programme Specialist, Social Inclusion and Policy, UNICEF HQ, New York
For more information and arranging interviews please contact:
Rebekka Opfermann, UNICEF Brussels, +32 492 93 37 43,
Christophe Verhellen, United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC), +32 475 90 63 60,
Christina Dankmayer, on behalf of German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, + 49 228 4460 3678,
Aneta Szczyglowska, WFP Europe, +32 491395420,
Jan De Bisshop, UNHCR Brussels, +32 470 99 37 41,
Massimiliano Terzini, FAO Rome, +39 33 870 319 26,