Social and Economic Policy

Global economic crisis and recovery

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© UNICEF/NYHQ-2010-1541/Asselin

In many parts of the developing world, children and poor households are being hard hit by the cumulative effects of the continued high food prices, economic slowdown and fiscal adjustments. As households cope by compromising essential expenditures, children's rights to education, health, and protection have come under increasing threat.

Many governments are facing increased social demands, but decreasing fiscal resources to address them. Despite signs of recovery in some parts of the world, economic recovery will not be soon or strong enough to protect many children and the poor. UNICEF is working within countries to provide ongoing technical assistance to partner with governments in education, health, social protection and socio-economic policies. Crucial actions include:

  • Urgently scaling up quick-impact social protection initiatives such as food security programmes, cash transfers to households, guaranteed work schemes and school feeing.
  • Maintaining, and where possible increasing, social expenditures to preserve gains in the realization of children's and women's rights and long-term national development achievements.
  • Promoting economic recovery to raise household living standards such as increased investments in agriculture and food security and employment-generating industry and enterprises, with a view toward strengthening households' resilience to shocks.
  • Identifying sources of fiscal space to promote economic recovery.
  • Presenting a set of alternative policy options for social and economic recovery that can be used in a national dialogue on crisis responses and post-crisis policy adjustments.

 

 


Latest news

The Road to Pratolino
Global consultation on Social Policy, Equity, Rights and Development
21-24 Feb 2012

Global Inequality: Beyond the Bottom Billion - A Rapid Review of Income Distribution in 141 Countries
Isabel Ortiz and Matthew Cummins

This working paper provides an overview of global, regional and national income inequalities based on the latest distribution data from the World Bank, UNU-WIDER and Eurostat.

Escalating Food Prices: The threat to poor households and policies to safeguard a Recovery for All
Isabel Ortiz, Jingqing Chai and Matthew Cummins

This working paper briefly reviews possible causes for the food price spike that began in mid-2010.

Prioritizing Expenditures for a Recovery for All
Isabel Ortiz, Jingqing Chai, Matthew Cummins and Gabriel Vergara

This working paper examines the extent to which fiscal consolitation is occuring in 2010-11 among 126 low and middle-income countries, and the potential risks for children and poor households at a time when economic recovery is fragile and uneven.

A Recovery for All: A Call for Collaborative Action
Isabel Ortiz, Jingqing Chai and Matthew Cummins

This concept note outlines a Recovery for All strategy to assist countries to meet their CRC obligations through a robust social and economic recovery.