ISSN 1564-4162 social SERIES policy The rights-based approach to social protection in Latin America From rhetoric to practice Magdalena Sepúlveda 189 The rights-based approach to social protection in Latin America From rhetoric to practice Magdalena Sepúlveda 2 This document was prepared by Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, consultant with the Social Development Division of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, in the framework of the joint cooperation programme between ECLAC and the Government of Norway, “Promoting equality in Latin America and the Caribbean”. A draft version of this document was presented at the international seminar “Public policies for equality: towards universal social protection systems”, which took place in Montevideo on December 4-5, 2013. The author is grateful for comments and suggestions made by Simone Cecchini, Rodrigo Martínez and María Nieves Rico. The opinions expressed in this document, which has not been submitted to formal editorial revision, are the exclusive responsibility of the author and may not represent those of the Organization. United Nations publication ISSN 1564-4162 LC/L.3788 ORIGINAL: SPANISH Copyright © United Nations, December 2014. All rights reserved Printed at United Nations, Santiago, Chile Member States and their governmental institutions may reproduce this work without prior authorization, but are requested to mention the source and inform the United Nations of such reproduction. 2 ECLAC - Social Policy Series No. 189 The rights-based approach to social protection in Latin America… Contents Executive summary ................................................................................................................................... 5 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 7 I. The obligatory nature and the value added of the rights-based approach .............................. 9 II. Social protection with a human rights focus .............................................................................. 11 A. The right to social protection versus the right to social security ............................................ 11 B. The normative content of the right to social security ............................................................. 14 C. The right to social security (social protection) as a lever for the enjoyment of other rights ......................................................................................................................... 16 III. Basic elements of a rights-based approach ................................................................................ 19 A. An appropriate legal and institutional framework .................................................................. 19 B. A comprehensive, coherent and coordinated social protection strategy ................................ 20 C. The principles of equality and non-discrimination................................................................. 21 1. Respecting the universal nature of rights: targeted versus universal programmes .................................................................................................... 21 2. Ensuring that women benefit under equality of conditions with men ............................ 22 3. Meeting the particular needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized individuals and groups ................................................................................................... 24 4. Standards of accessibility, adaptability, acceptability and adequacy ............................. 25 D. Ensuring that conditionalities (co-responsibilities) do not violate rights ............................... 27 E. Participation ........................................................................................................................... 29 F. Transparency and access to information ................................................................................ 30 G. Accountability and access to means of redress or remedies/claims and reparations .............. 31 IV. Lessons learned ............................................................................................................................ 33 A. Consolidating an appropriate legal and institutional framework ........................................... 33 B. The quest for integral social protection strategies .................................................................. 35 C. Ensuring respect for the principles of equality and non-discrimination ................................. 36 1. The road to universality: the example of health ............................................................. 36 3 ECLAC - Social Policy Series No. 189 The rights-based approach to social protection in Latin America… 2. Ensuring the inclusion of especially disadvantaged groups ........................................... 38 D. Participation ........................................................................................................................... 44 E. Accountability, transparency and access to information ........................................................ 45 V. Judicial enforcement of social rights and its impact on the design of social protection policies .............................................................................................................. 47 A. The case of the Constitutional Court of Colombia ................................................................. 48 B. Milestones and challenges in judicial review ......................................................................... 51 VI. Conclusions and policy recommendations ................................................................................. 55 A. Making the leap from rhetoric to practice .............................................................................. 56 B. Establishing social protection systems ................................................................................... 57 C. Applying the lessons from cash transfer programmes to the design, implementation and evaluation of policies in general ............................................................ 57 D. Structural changes to achieve equality ................................................................................... 58 1. Improving the quality, adequacy and accessibility of public services ........................... 58 2. Moving toward quality education .................................................................................. 58 3. Enhancing labour rights ................................................................................................. 59 E. Gender equity and care policies ............................................................................................. 60 F. Harmonizing tax policies with economic, social and cultural rights ...................................... 60 G. Overcoming capacity limitations and institutional barriers.................................................... 61 H. Protecting the environment .................................................................................................... 62 I. Ensuring accountability and judicial recourse ....................................................................... 62 J. Respecting the freedoms and rights essential or social participation .................................... 62 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................ 65 Series Social Policy: issues published .................................................................................................... 69 Tables TABLE 1 THE RIGHT TO SOCIAL SECURITY IN INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS.................................................................................................... 13 TABLE 2 FUNCTIONS OF A COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL PROTECTION SYSTEM AND ITS NORMATIVE FRAMEWORK IN INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW ...................................................................................................... 17 Boxes BOX 1 SPECIAL MEASURES IN RELATION TO WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ....................................................................................... 24 BOX 2 PRINCIPLES OF CHILD-SENSITIVE SOCIAL PROTECTION ....................................... 25 BOX 3 PARTICIPATION AS A DEFENCE AGAINST CORRUPTION ....................................... 30 BOX 4 FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION ............................................................... 31 BOX 5 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REVISING AND REFORMULATING CCTS FROM A GENDER PERSPECTIVE ......................................................................... 39 4 ECLAC - Social Policy Series No. 189 The rights-based approach to social protection in Latin America… Executive summary This paper aims to contribute to developing the normative framework for rights-based social protection systems and discusses lessons learned in some emblematic programmes implemented in Latin America which have sought to advance a rights approach. The paper first emphasizes the added value of the rights-based approach and describes the normative content of the right to social security. It then describes the basic elements of a rights-based approach and examines how it is operationalized in the design, implementation and evaluation of landmark