Recommendation 7

HM Government Accepted

The UK is a long-standing champion of social protection, working to improve the coverage, inclusivity and shock-responsiveness of social protection systems through our international engagement, bilateral and multilateral investments, and central programmes that provide technical assistance and generate evidence. We agree that COVID-19 highlighted the value of social protection systems, with over 222 countries and territories using social protection during the pandemic. During that time, the FCDO established an on-demand expert advice facility (SPACE) that provided advice to more than 40 countries on how to maintain, adapt or expand social protection systems to support those most economically affected by the crisis. STAAR, our successor technical assistance facility, continues that support to governments and partners on strengthening social protection systems to help prevent and be able to respond to crises. We also agree that social protection is vital in helping vulnerable people to build resilience and adapt their livelihoods to climate risks. It has a central role to play in both preventing and responding to global food insecurity. We are championing a strong climate lens in our own and others’ social protection investments, including the research component of our Better Assistance in Crises (BASIC) programme that is examining how social protection in protracted crisis contexts can contribute to greater resilience to shocks and climate adaptation. The UK remains committed to supporting progress towards the 2030 global goal of universal health coverage (UHC) and looks forward to a year of action in 2023 and beyond, driven by the High-Level Meeting (HLM) on UHC at UNGA in September. The UK is working with other Member States to drive a country-led, action-oriented set of commitments at the HLM, whilst championing the ongoing need for stronger domestic financing that focusses on primary health care first. Achieving UHC is the foundation stone to delivering the global goal of health and well-being for all, ending preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths and building prosperous societies resilient to pandemic and climatic threats and food insecurity. The UK has a longstanding reputation for helping to build stronger health systems. In countries like Nepal we have helped to increase the proportion of women giving birth in health facilities, from 9% in 2001 to 80% in 2022. We drive innovation, such as setting up the social financing company MedAccess through British International Investment to improve access to affordable, quality medicines, and we are at the core of partnerships like the Global Financing Facility that have supported countries to strengthen their health systems, reaching more than 103 million women with safe delivery care.