WB renews commitment to continue historic partnership with Ethiopia on social protection

Addis Ababa, November 16, 2024 (FBC) – The World Bank (WB) has reaffirmed its commitment to continue the historic and longest partnership with Ethiopia to strengthen the country’s social protection system.

World Bank Social Protection and Jobs Practice Manager for East Africa Region, Robert Chase revealed WB has established a long-standing partnership with Ethiopia to improve its social protection system.

“This is one of the longest and celebrated partnerships for social protection anywhere in the world between the government of Ethiopia and the World Bank,” the Manager said.

Currently, Ethiopia considers social protection as a core component of national development and remains at the center of public policy.

As social protection is a critical pillar of social policy to address the driver of risks, the World Bank has been supporting Ethiopia’s social protection system through a number of initiatives such as providing financial inclusion, skills, and grants to beneficiaries.

For Chase, what the government of Ethiopia has done for nearly the last 20 years has been very impressive in setting a tone of productive social protection on how to protect people but also give them job opportunities.

“We have tried to take this example from Ethiopia and to share it all-over the world. The things Ethiopia has to share is for example its work on providing job opportunities through public works to improve the wellbeing of Ethiopians who are at the most vulnerable situations.”

The productive public works and productive economic inclusion are some of the lessons that Ethiopia can share with other countries, he further revealed.

Regarding the role of the World Bank in Ethiopia’s social protection system, he said the WB targets to build a system that is flexible, modern but also balances providing job opportunities to Ethiopian citizens.

“The World Bank provides very extensive financing, we organize other development partners to support what Ethiopia is doing, and we also provide lessons learned about what has worked in one country and how Ethiopia can use it.”

The World Bank is committed to provide and continue to support the government of Ethiopia and following the government’s agenda on how to provide productive jobs, he told local newswire service ENA.

By mitigating risks at the different life stages, social protection programs in Ethiopia contribute not only to individual securities, but also to social cohesion acting as a bridge between citizens and government.

Rural safety net program, urban safety net, community based health insurance, school feeding program, active labor market intervention, are among the productive initiatives undertaken by the government of Ethiopia, it was learned.