Report Launch and Panel Discussion: Achieving Resilience by Linking Humanitarian CVA to Social Protection in MENA

The event started with a brief presentation by Beyond Group Consulting on the main findings and recommendations of the report, then featured a rich panel discussion which included both regional and global experts, as well as seasoned practitioners from the three countries which the report covered (Iraq, Libya, and Yemen). 

The panel and Q&A discussion was moderated by the chairs of the MENA Community of Practice on linking humanitarian CVA with social protection. Some of the main takeaways of the discussion are highlighted below: 

• We cannot underestimate the importance of timely coordination between humanitarian and development actors when looking at linkages between humanitarian CVA and social protection systems. 
• Everyone has a role to play, and for NGOs, they have a vital role in ensuring no harm is caused to recipients during any transition to social protection systems. Complementary programmes (such as ensuring access to documentation) are also vital but temporary. 
• Where possible, actors should go beyond traditional linkages between humanitarian CVA and social safety nets, and think about a broader social protection approach. To do that, we need to adopt a ‘systems perspective’ when planning for cooperation between governments, development actors, and humanitarian actors. 
• On Yemen, it’s important to consider the pre-conflict context and the relatively nascent social protection system. The potential peace talks are an opportunity to build a new social contract, and within that to focus on building human capital and skills development through social protection schemes. 
• In Libya, using common tools among humanitarian actors was seen as good practice to help with linkages. Practical steps such as having piggy-backing options for FSP contracts among agencies can overcome some of the technical challenges. 
• A lot has been done on coordination among actors in Iraq. While this is positive, the benefits are yet to be seen and we need to continue working together on what is feasible in terms of reforming the social protection system and linking it with humanitarian CVA. 

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