Abstract
In recent years the Middle East and North Africa region has seen a number of social protection reforms, which have often included the removal of universal subsidies and the introduction of targeted cash transfer programs. An ever-growing body of research has documented the positive effects of cash transfers on children, not only on reducing monetary poverty but also on improving key determinants of multidimensional poverty. Despite increased efforts, many of the region’s cash transfer programs remain small in scale and their design could be improved to better respond to children’s needs by making, amongst others, more explicit linkages to nutrition and health services. In addition, only few programs are embedded in a legal framework, an important attribute to guarantee children’s right to social protection.
The findings presented in this chapter are based on two joint publications by the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth and UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Office (Machado et al. 2018; Machado and Bilo 2018) which provide a closer look at child-sensitive social protection in the region and an analysis of program’s legal frameworks from a child rights perspective. Some references have been updated for the chapter at hand.
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Notes
- 1.
Based on UNICEF’s definition of the MENA region, this study covers the following 20 countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, State of Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
- 2.
Four main principles: (i) equality and non-discrimination; (ii) “best interests of the child”; (iii) respect for dignity and avoidance of stigma; (iv) compliance with other children’s rights (Sépulveda 2019).
- 3.
Note that the programs considered here are programs for poor households as well as other vulnerable groups, they are hence not explicitly targeted at children.
- 4.
Note that Karama was designed to gradually replace the Social Solidarity Scheme. A residual group will remain in the social pension program, including poor separated and divorced women.
- 5.
Given the current conflict in the country, it is uncertain whether this law is really applied.
- 6.
The term ‘legal framework’ is defined here as “all national laws and other decrees or secondary legislations and regulations” (Transform 2017, Glossary).
- 7.
At least one scheme was included for each of the 20 countries, except for Morocco, Lebanon and the State of Palestine, where the main national cash program do not (yet) have a legal framework. Two programs were included for Algeria, Egypt and Jordan each. For Yemen and Syria, where the ongoing humanitarian crises have led to the suspension of most state-provided social protection schemes, the SWF and the National Social Aid Fund (NSAF) respectively were considered. The analysis is limited to a selection of programs that are targeted at children or families with children, or whose benefit structure increases with the number of household members/children.
- 8.
Education-related CCTs include cash transfers for families with school-age children, which are conditional on school attendance or enrolment (whether verified or not), but also educational scholarships and student grants paid to individual students, with an implicit conditionality.
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Annex: Analysis of human rights principles of selected programs in the region
Annex: Analysis of human rights principles of selected programs in the region
Country | Program | Legal Instrument | Relevant article(s) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Setting out eligibility requirements | Articulating long-term financial requirements | Defining the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the scheme’s implementation | Establishing accessible complaints and appeal mechanisms | Setting foundations for citizen participation | ||||
1 | Algeria | Allocation Forfaitaire de Solidarité | Décret exécutif no 94-336 du 24 octobre 1994 | Art. 6–10 | Art. 13, 16 | Art. 12, 16, 18, 19 | Art. 18 | |
2 | Algeria | Allocation Spéciale de Scolarité | Décret présidentiel no 01-238 du 19 août 2001 | Art. 2 | Art. 3 | Art. 3 | ||
3 | Bahrain | Social Assistance Scheme | Provisions of Law No. 18/2006 | Art. 6, 12 | Art. 10, 15, 16 | Art. 8 | ||
4 | Djibouti | PNSF | Décret n°2015-279/PR/SESN du 11 octobre 2015; Décret N° 2017-096/PR/SEAS | Art.11, 13 | Art. 18 (Décret 2017-096 /PR /SEAS) | Art.3 (Décret n°2015279/PR/SESN) Art. 2,4,6,7,8,9 (Décret 2017-096 /PR /SEAS) | Art. 16 | Art. 13, 17 |
5 | Egypt | Social Solidarity Pension | Law No. 137 of 2010 Social Solidarity Law, Executive Regulations 451 of 2010, Ministerial Decree 186 of 2015 | Art. 2, 4 (Law No. 137) Art. 4, 6 (Executive Regulations 451) Art. 2 (Ministerial Decree 186) | Art. 14 | Art. 8 | Art. 8 | |
6 | Egypt | Takaful and Karama | Prime Ministerial Decree No. 540 of 2015 | Art. 2 | Art. 3, 9 | |||
7 | Iran | Targeted Subsidy Reform Act | Targeted Subsidy Reform Law 2009, Bylaw of Art. 7 ratified by cabinet in April 2010 | Art. 7a, and Bylaw on Art.7 (Articles 5, 6 and 7) | Art. 1-4, 7 | Art. 15 Bylaw on Art.7 | Art. 10 | |
8 | Iraq | Social Protection Network | Law No. 11 of 2014 on Social Protection | Art. 1, 28 | Art. 19 | Art. 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18 | Art. 10, 12, 25 | |
9 | Jordan | National Aid Fund | Law of the National Aid Fund No. 36 of 1986; Instructions issued in 2015 under the provisions of Article (8 g) of the Law of the National Aid Fund No. 36 of 1986; Instructions issued in 2012 under the provisions of Article 8 (j) of the Law of the National Aid Fund No. 36 of 1986 | Ch. 5 (Art.12-17), Ch. 6 (Art. 18-23), Ch. 7 (Art. 24-28) (Provisions of Article 8 g) | Art. 6 | Art. 7 (Law No. 36), Art. 7 (Provisions of Article 8 j) | ||
10 | Kuwait | General Assistance | Decree No. 23 of 2013 | Art. 1 | Art. 8 | |||
11 | Libya | Family Allowance | Law No. 27 of 2013 on Allowances for Children and Wives | Art. 1,3 | Art. 6,7 | |||
12 | Oman | Social Security Benefits (Monthly Cash Assistance Program) | Sultani Decree 84/87 Promulgating the Social Security Law (1984) | Art.2. | Art. 10,12, 15,16, 20, 21 | Art. 11 | ||
13 | Qatar | Social Insurance | Law No. 38 of 1995 on Social Insurance | Art. 3 | Art. 4, 21 | Art. 15 | ||
14 | Saudi Arabia | Supplementary Support Program | Royal Decree No. M/45 of 2006 | Art. 2, 3, 5 | Art. 18 | Art. 9, 10, 12, 13, 17 | Art. 20, 21 | |
15 | Sudan | Zakat Fund | Zakat Law of 2001 | Art. 38 | Art. 16, 39 | Art. 7 | ||
16 | Syria | NSAF | Legislative Decree No. 9 establishing the National Fund for Social Assistance (2011) | Art. 19 | Art. 4,6 | Art. 9, 10 | ||
17 | UAE | Monthly Cash Benefit | Federal Law No. 2 of 2001 | Art. 3,4,7, 19 | Art. 18, 21 | Art. 13, 14 | ||
28 | Yemen | SWF | Social Welfare Law No. 39 of 2008 | Art. 4,5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13 | Art. 33 | Art. 23, 24 | Art. 20 | |
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Bilo, C., Machado, A.C. (2021). Cash Transfer Programs in MENA from a Child Rights Perspective. In: Tajmazinani, A.A. (eds) Social Policy in the Islamic World. International Series on Public Policy . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57753-7_5
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