New knowledge sharing platform will share Brazil’s social protection innovations with the world

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 21, 2014 – A joint initiative was launched today to capture Brazil’s important innovations in social protection and labor programs. The Brazilian Learning Initiative World Without Poverty (WWP) aims at sharing lessons with low and middle income countries on how to eliminate extreme poverty.

(From left to right) Jorge Chediek (UNDP/IPC-IG), Deborah Wetzel (World Bank), Tereza Campello (Minister of Social Development) and Marcelo Neri (IPEA/SAE). Photo: Mariana Hoffmann/UNDP

This knowledge sharing platform is sponsored by Brazil’s Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger (MDS), the Brazilian Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA), UNDP’s International Policy Center for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG), and the World Bank. It will capture Brazil’s own experience with social protection systems. This is a follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding which was signed between the partners during the World Bank Group President’s visit to Brazil last year.

“The WWP comes as a smart and a simple way to share with many countries the main aspects of the design, management and monitoring of these programs and other actions. It will also allow Brazil to improve its programs from the successful experiences of other countries’ knowledge. We are proud to be part of this initiative,” said Minister Campello.

“The implementation of the Bolsa Família Program and Brasil Sem Miséria Plan have generated a wealth of lessons and knowledge on social assistance and poverty reduction that should be systematized and shared among policy makers, managers and technicians of social programs from around the world. Therefore, there is room to accelerate and expand the learning experience from the social policy in Brazil, including informing about innovative solutions which are implemented,” said Deborah Wetzel, the World Bank Country Director in Brazil. “This initiative comes to meet this need, and, together with the MDS, the IPEA and the IPC-IG, the Bank reinforces its commitment to promote development and improve the quality of life of the poorest.”

Brazil has made significant strides in reducing poverty and inequality over the last decade, with social transfers through the Bolsa Família Program, as well as the more recent experience to strengthen the synergies and implementation of a broad set of poverty reduction programs under the Brasil Sem Miséria Plan. The rapid growth in labor income at the lower end of the distribution is also a key contributing factor.

“IPEA, which will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in 2014, has dedicated itself to Brazilian development, with strong focus on the design and evaluation of strategies for poverty reduction. It is with great honor that the Institute joins the WWP, offering its staff’s efforts to strengthen studies and proposals on that topic. IPEA many publications have revealed considerable poverty and inequality reduction in Brazil in the last years. There were advances in many different dimensions of human development in Brazil, especially in the poorest municipalities and neighborhoods,” said Marcelo Neri, President of IPEA and Minister of Strategic Affairs Secretariat (SAE). “We need to progress continuously, sharing our success and overcoming obstacles and challenges. The WWP promises to facilitate the exporting of lessons and social technologies developed here to other countries, as well as the knowledge exchange among local experiences.”

The key audience for this initiative includes practitioners and policy makers in the area of social policy, research organizations, as well as the general public.

“The WWP is an important opportunity to promote South-South cooperation on poverty reduction strategies with other countries. There is a great interest for information about policies that enable effective socioeconomic changes in the livelihoods of people living in poverty. Through IPC-IG, UNDP Brazil wants to expand its participation in this global debate, facilitating knowledge sharing among low- and middle- income countries. This partnership with the World Bank and the federal government will expand and give new dimensions to this valuable cooperation,” said Jorge Chediek, UNDP Resident Representative in Brazil and Director of IPC-IG.

Source: International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG)