The Quest for Achieving Universal Social Protection in Nepal: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

With the entry into the new millennium, social protection has emerged as a new priority for developing countries as well as international development institutions. Earlier, social protection programmes were considered unsuitable for developing countries, whereas recent years has seen a shift in the development paradigm with social protection policies now considered a key component of international poverty reduction strategies and a development instrument centred on the rights of the poor. Drawing from the experience of Nepal as a case study, this article seeks to examine the different approaches to social protection in the South Asian region, and also the challenges faced and issues remaining in providing a minimum level of social protection necessary for a decent living. The experience of Nepal is important because it marks a shift from social protection covering government pensioners only to one where the government is implementing a varied portfolio, despite high levels of poverty, political uncertainties, and low growth rates.