Closing the Gap: Potential Contribution of Social Assistance for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
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This brief discusses the fiscal requirements to meet the social protection-related targets of SDGs, particularly for social assistance programs in ADB’s 16 developing member countries in Asia.
If the first Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to “End poverty in all its forms everywhere” is to be taken seriously, most low- and middle-income countries face a huge challenge.
Social assistance programs, especially cash transfer programs, have become increasingly popular in low- and middle-income countries. Its positive impacts on the lives of the poor and vulnerable have also accumulated over the past decade. SDG Target 1.3 (Implement social protection, including floors) explicitly recognizes the potential of social protection systems for eradicating poverty. However, with social assistance policies underperforming in most countries, simply allocating more money—though urgently needed—will not solve the problem. This brief discusses how to close the social assistance gap through 2030.