Global citizens need to aspire for a world where every person, regardless of their circumstances, has access to basic healthcare, income security, and the means to live with dignity. A world where no child goes to bed hungry, no worker is left destitute, and no pensioner is abandoned. Universal Social Protection Floors aim to make this aspiration a reality. It is a global initiative which seeks to address deepening levels of inequality, poverty, and hunger. Today, we face a global hunger crisis, with nearly 29% of the population struggling to find enough to eat, and over 575 million people projected to still live in extreme poverty by 2030. These shocking statistics reveal the urgent need for action. Currently, only 12% of global development targets are on track to be met.
What are universal social floors and why do they matter?
Globalisation, climate change, technological disruptions, and geopolitical instability continue to deepen inequalities, poverty, and hunger, particularly in developing countries. These challenges often expose gaps in national systems and their ability to protect vulnerable segments of their populations. For example, despite South Africa being one of the most unequal countries, with high unemployment and the top 10% earning around 65% of the national income, social protection remains inadequate. Today, adults aged 18 to 59 (unless disabled) are still excluded from permanent income support. This leaves many people in this age segment vulnerable to poverty should they not be able to secure any form of stable employment.
Social Protection Floors aim to address these systemic vulnerabilities and form the foundation of a fair and just society. They aim to ensure that people have guaranteed access to healthcare and basic income security through child support assistance, disability and grants assistance, and some form of income security insurance for working-age adults.
The G20’s social protection track record
The G20 recognised the importance of Social Protection Floors when they endorsed the ILO’s Social Protection Floors Recommendation. However, more needs to be done to ensure that the world meets global developmental targets. In 2022, the Indonesian G20 Presidency introduced the concept of adaptive social protection, which aims to integrate social protection systems with disaster risk management to protect people and communities from the adverse impacts of economic shocks, natural disasters, and pandemics. In 2024, Brazil focused on reducing inequalities and emphasised Social Protection Floors as a crucial tool to tackle poverty and hunger. Through a dedicated task force, Brazil launched the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. The Presidency also produced a Ministerial Declaration for Reducing Inequalities, which called for the expansion of social protection systems across formal and informal sectors.
South Africa’s G20 presidency: A unique opportunity
South Africa is well-positioned to lead the charge on Social Protection Floors, as it already has a relatively extensive social protection system through its social grants. Its drive for social protection should yield towards more action-oriented approaches. This is particularly important because South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world. For South Africa’s presidency, the G20 will discuss Social Protection Floors in Task Force 1 on Inclusive Economic Growth, Industrialisation, Employment, and Reduced Inequality, as well as the Development Working Group. The task force aims to develop frameworks that will integrate social protection policies with broader economic and industrial strategies to address poverty and inequality. South Africa seeks to use these interventions to create decent jobs with adequate wages, social protection, security, and dignity.
How activists and communities can get involved
Beyond government discussions on Social Protection Floors, we as activists and communities should be inspired by previous efforts to leverage people’s power to push governments and global leaders to act. Activists across the globe have strived for a world that ushers in Social Protection Floors and ensures that no child goes hungry, no worker is left unprotected, and no elderly person is abandoned. We can work collectively to ensure that we:
- Demand action: We should consider which options are available to hold our leaders accountable. Find ways to push G20 countries to prioritise Social Protection Floors and ensure that their commitments are turned into action.
- Raise awareness: We should empower each other to educate our communities that poverty and inequality are a direct outcome of government inaction, not limited resources.
- Protect existing social protection benefits: We should consider ways to ensure our governments do not regress on progressive social protection benefits. The SRD grant is a good vehicle towards a universal basic income. As progressive as this initiative is, it has been subject to continued attempts to undermine it, particularly from South Africa’s National Treasury.
- Collaborate: We must partner with different organisations, unions, and networks to amplify our voices. The Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors is a good example of this.
- Advocate for funding: We should collaborate with other organisations to advocate for increased investment in social protection systems and other socioeconomic rights, both domestically and internationally.
Learn more
Explore the full findings and recommendations in the IEJ’s G20 Universal Social Floors factsheet.
Other factsheets in the 2025 G20 series include:
- What is the G20?
- International taxation
- African debt crisis
- Food security
- Fossil phase out
- Climate financing
- Green industrialisation
- Women empowerment