Towards Universal Social Protection. Latin American Pathways and Policy Tools

This book reflects on the public policies, programmes and regulatory frameworks that are taking a rights-based approach to expanding social protection coverage and benefits in Latin America, with a view to achieving universal coverage. The book’s discussion of the policy tools and programmes pursued in the region aims to provide the reader with technical and programmatic insights for assembling and coordinating public policies within consistent and sustainable social protection systems. The combination of normative orientations and stock of technical knowledge, together with advances regarding the rights-based approach to social protection within a life cycle framework, afford the reader not only a tool box of specific social protection instruments, but also an in-depth examination of related political economy aspects. The book has three parts. The first describes the context in which the shifts in social protection policies have occurred. The second examines social protection tools from a life cycle perspective and looks at issues that involve significant geographical or spatial considerations. The last part addresses cross-cutting themes that are crucial for tackling the pathway towards universal social protection