Social Protection networks are a set of public policies aimed to protect the population before social contingencies, which appear during life cycles. These networks have the potential to shield the social and economic welfare through money transfers, as social benefits which are subject to a specific social security regime and as focused or conditioned programs, additionally to in kind transfers or social services. As an example, before the current COVID19 pandemic, social protection networks materialized as programs directed to protect the incomes of households through emergency bonds, the expansion of health services coverage, the exemption of payments for social services, among others, have been decisive for the resilience of homes in the region.

Latin America and the Caribbean are exposed to multiple threats of natural origin. In the last two decades, there have been registered 1,032 natural disasters, which have affected 155 million of people. Therefore, it is urgent to boost the resilience before natural phenomena in the region, due to its high levels of inequality and poverty, which are associated to higher vulnerability and exposition to threads.

In this sense, it is essential to boost and consolidate social protection networks in the whole Latin America and Caribbean region, in addition to expand the social contingencies to the impacts caused by natural phenomena and climate change related events. For this, it is required to have institutions prepared to operate and respond to emergency situations and disasters, accordingly to social benefits and services offered by them.

Social Security institutions are essential for social security networks, during disasters events. Sendai Framework 2015-2030, establishes as a priority to invest in disaster risk reduction for increasing resilience, which demands to promote the development of protection networks, tied to programs of livelihoods improvement. Today, social security coverage is limited in our region. As an example, almost half of the working population do not contribute to the retirement pension system; however, the coverage is extended by universal pension, health services, education, in kind and money transfer programs, directed to household on poverty and extreme poverty situations, pregnant women, children and people with disabilities; to wit, different mechanisms of protection networks complement each other, so the social security system needs to adapt in front of disaster risk.

Therefore, the development of social protection networks entails the generation of technical and logistical capacities to secure, in theory, the timely and appropriate delivery of social benefits and services at any time. Social and economic resilience of the region depends, somehow, on the better preparedness of social institutions before disasters, based on continuity of operations, prioritization of substantial functions, and the execution of emerging programs to protect the affected population and in vulnerable situation.

The main purpose of the workshop is to establish the basis for the production of toolkits, which contribute to the preparedness of social institutions before disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The five main objectives of the workshop are:

• To position the social function of social security in the context of disaster risk.
• To detail the preparation of social security institutions through plans for reducing decision making process and the interruption of substantive functions before disaster events.
• To assist social security institutions on self-assessments regarding their level of preparedness.

Target audience

• Public officers from social security systems (Ministries, Institutions, Saving banks, Boards, etc.) of Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Representatives of risk management regional systems.

Modality

• Virtual sessions in Zoom platform.
• 8 hrs. duration.
• On September 7th, 8th and 9th.
• No cost.
• Simultaneous Spanish-English-Spanish interpretation
• 3 seats per country/territory.

Organizing Institutions

• Inter-American Conference on Social Security (CISS)
• Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA)
• Pro Tempore Presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (PTP CELAC)

Speakers

• Ana Ramírez Cuevas, Director for Disaster Risk Reduction Office, Association of Caribbean States (ACS).
• Mariano Toshiki Katase Ruíz, President, Mexican Association of Professionals in Risk Management and Civil Protection AC
• Verhonica Zamudio

Zamudio, V. (2020), Protocolo de desastres para instituciones de seguridad social en las Américas, Políticas para el bienestar, año 1, núm. 6, Ciudad de México: Conferencia Interamericana de Seguridad Social.

Module 1. Risk Management (2:30 h)

• Cross-Sectoral character of Comprehensive Risk Management
• Vulnerability and risk exposition in Latin America and the Caribbean
• Chain risk and Systemic risk

Module 2. Continuity of Operations Plans (2:30 h)

• Civil Protection Inside Plan
• Reduction of decission making process
• Continuity of Operations (COOP)

Module 3. Self-Assessment on Preparedness before Disasters (3:00 h)

• Disaster Risk Management Triad
• Challenges for Social Security Institutions during COVID-19 pandemic
• Self-Assessment Toolkit

EM-DAT, The International Disaster Database, Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED)/ Université Catholique de Louvain.

Organización Internacional del Trabajo (2018), Presente y futuro de la protección social en América Latina y el Caribe, Panorama Laboral Temático 4, Lima: OIT / Oficina Regional para América Latina y el Caribe.