World Bank2013-06-272013-06-272002-010-8213-5145-1https://hdl.handle.net/10986/14255Despite social, and economic diversity within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, social protection systems share common characteristics. This report develops a framework for a more integrated approach to social protection, and proposes general strategic lines of actions to guide the reform of social protection systems in the MENA region. It argues that, while during the 1970s and 1980s, economic growth rates outweighed growth rates in other regions, and social indicators improved dramatically, the model of development was not sustainable. It further, discusses key features, and major weaknesses of the social protection systems in the MENA countries, by defining an alternative framework for social protection. However, it also argues that traditional social protection schemes, cannot constitute the sole mechanism to protect vulnerable population groups, help the poor, or increase social welfare. Actions outside the traditional social protection system, suggest promoting prudent macroeconomic management, improving governance, rethinking regulatory institutions, and reforming education, and health systems. Concurrently, actions within the traditional social protection system, include improvements in the financial sustainability of social insurance systems, reforming training systems, and designing safety nets as developmental, and community-based, not just assistance, and centrally administered schemes.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOADVERSE EFFECTSADVERSE SHOCKSAGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIONAGRICULTURAL SECTORBUSINESS ENVIRONMENTCAPITAL FLOWSCAPITAL MARKETSCASH TRANSFERSCHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONSCHILD LABORCIVIL SERVICECIVIL SOCIETYCOMMODITIESCOPING MECHANISMSDELIVERY MECHANISMSDEPENDENCY RATIODEVELOPMENT INDICATORSDEVELOPMENT NETWORKDEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERSDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMEECONOMIC ACTIVITYECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICSECONOMIC CRISESECONOMIC GROWTHECONOMIC MANAGEMENTEDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTEMPLOYMENTEXCHANGE RATESEXTERNAL SHOCKSFINANCIAL MARKETSFISCAL POLICIESFISCAL POLICYFOOD SUBSIDIESGNPHEALTH EXPENDITURESHEALTH INSURANCEHIGH UNEMPLOYMENTHOUSEHOLD INCOMEHUMAN CAPITALHUMAN DEVELOPMENTIMPORTSINCOME HOUSEHOLDSINCOME INEQUALITYINCREASED EMPHASISINCREASED RISKSINSURANCE SYSTEMSINTEREST RATESINTERNATIONAL LABOURINTERNATIONAL POVERTY LINESLABOR FORCELABOR MARKETLABOR MARKETSLABOR PRODUCTIVITYLEVEL PLAYING FIELDLIFE EXPECTANCYMACROECONOMIC MANAGEMENTMACROECONOMIC POLICIESMACROECONOMIC STABILITYMANDATESMARKET DISTORTIONSMICROFINANCEMIGRATIONMORTALITYNATIONAL AVERAGENATIONAL POLICIESNATIONAL POVERTYNATIONAL POVERTY LINESNATURAL DISASTERSNONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONSOILOIL PRICESOIL RESERVESOLD-AGE INSURANCEPENSION SYSTEMPENSIONSPOOR COMMUNITIESPOPULATION GROUPSPOPULATION GROWTHPOPULATION SIZEPOVERTY GAPPOVERTY INDICATORSPOVERTY REDUCTIONPRIORITY AREASPRIVATE SECTORPRIVATE SECTORSPRIVATIZATIONPRODUCTIVITYPRODUCTIVITY GROWTHPUBLIC ENTERPRISESPUBLIC EXPENDITURESPUBLIC POLICYPUBLIC SECTORPUBLIC TRANSFERSRETIREMENTRISK FACTORSRISK MANAGEMENTRISK MANAGEMENT MECHANISMSRISK MITIGATIONRISK REDUCTIONRURAL POPULATIONSAFETY NETSAFETY NET PROGRAMSSAFETY NETSSAVINGSSKILLED WORKERSSMALL FARMERSSOCIAL ASSISTANCESOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMSSOCIAL CAPITALSOCIAL EXPENDITURESSOCIAL INSURANCESOCIAL INVESTMENTSOCIAL PROTECTIONSOCIAL PROTECTION MECHANISMSSOCIAL PROTECTION STRATEGYSOCIAL PROTECTION SYSTEMSSOCIAL RISKSOCIAL RISK MANAGEMENTSOCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORKSOCIAL RISKSSOCIAL SAFETY NETSSOCIAL SECTORSSOCIAL SECURITYSOCIAL SERVICESSOCIAL WELFARESTRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENTSTRUCTURAL REFORMSTRUCTURAL REFORMSSUBSIDIARYSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTSUSTAINABLE GROWTHTRADE LIBERALIZATIONTRANSFER PROGRAMSTRANSPORTUNEMPLOYMENTUNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCEUNEMPLOYMENT RATEUNEMPLOYMENT RATESURBANIZATIONVULNERABLE GROUPSWAGE SUBSIDYWAGESWATER RESOURCESWATER SUPPLYWELFARE LOSSES SOCIAL PROTECTION SYSTEMSSOCIOECONOMIC INDICATORSREGIONAL DISPARITYINTEGRATED APPROACHLABOR MARKET POLICYSOCIAL INSURANCE PROGRAMSSOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMSSOCIAL REFORMPOLICY FRAMEWORKECONOMIC GROWTHSOCIAL INDICATORSSOCIAL WELFAREMACROECONOMIC PLANNINGPRUDENTIAL REGULATIONSGOVERNANCE APPROACHINSTITUTIONAL REFORMREGULATORY FRAMEWORKEDUCATIONAL REFORMHEALTH REFORMFINANCIAL STABILITYSOCIAL INSURANCE PROGRAMSTRAINING ASSISTANCESOCIAL SAFETY NETSCOMMUNITY-BASED METHODWorld Bank10.1596/0-8213-5145-1