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Practitioners need to realize that social protection is the agent of social development: Dr. Franz von Roenne

ISLAMABAD, Nov 10, (SABAH): The practitioners need to realize that social protection is the agent of social development, therefore, the horizon of social protection system must be expanded beyond the social assistance in the local context.

This was stated by Dr. Franz von Roenne, Programme Director, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ, Pakistan) here at the launch of a training course on ‘Social Protection in Pakistan’ for public sector officials to develop a better understanding of the social protection concepts, instruments, and systems-based approach.

The course was organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with GIZ under a BMZ-financed programme, Oxford Policy Management (OPM), and Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (HBRS), Germany.

Dr. Franz said that GIZ is supporting the federal as well as the provincial governments through its reform program, namely Support to Social Protection – Social Health Protection.

Dr. Vaqar Ahmed, Joint Executive Director, SDPI said that the government must think of social protection in context of post disaster situations such as floods and pandemic that calls for this kind of course. While discussing the fragmentation of the existing social protection system in Pakistan, he stressed the need for an integrated approach.

Tauseef Dilshad Khatana, the Chief Executive Officer, Punjab Social Protection Authority, said this course provides an opportunity to learn from diversified experiences and is a step forward to build capacities for the improved implementation of social protection.

Fawad Khattak, Project Director, PP SPRU P&D Department KP, highlighted the importance of adaptive social protection system with the aim of developing better system for social protection in Pakistan.

The departments whose representatives attended the course were: Federal Sehat Sahulat Program, Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, Benazir Income Support Programme, Punjab Bait-ul-Maal, P&D Board Punjab, KP-TEVTA, Women Development Department, Punjab, Punjab Social Protection Authority, Special Education Department, Punjab, Zakat and Usher Department, Punjab Government, Punjab Health Initiative Management Company, Social Welfare Department of KP, Sehat Card Plus KP, P&D Department KP, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund along with other organizations.