First published in 1948, the International Social Security Review is the principal international quarterly publication in the field of social security.
Reinvigorating the social contract and strengthening social cohesion: Social protection responses to COVID-19
Authors:
Shahra Razavi
Christina Behrendt
Mira Bierbaum
Ian Orton
Lou Tessier
Issue:
Volume 73 (2020), Issue 3 (Special issue)
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of those who are inadequately covered by social protection in more and less developed countries alike, and has exacerbated the fragility of a social contract that was already under strain in many countries. A weak social contract in the context of an exceptional crisis poses a very real risk to social cohesion. Nevertheless, many States have reasserted themselves as the guarantor of rights by protecting public health and incomes. By sustaining these measures, economic recovery will be supported which will help minimize risks that may weaken social cohesion. However, this is a fast-moving, inherently unstable and protracted crisis. Social protection stands at a critical juncture. Decisive policy action will be required to strengthen social protection systems, including floors, as one of the cornerstones of a reinvigorated social contract.