Published in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Bangladesh

Bangladesh has been ahead of the curve in responding to the challenges of risk, vulnerability and social protection. Having laid a robust foundation of safety net programs, the quest is now for a national social protection strategy that effectively aims for a sum that is greater than its parts. This publication is an important milestone in this journey of vision, commitment and innovation. Drawing on the 2011 international conference on social protection held in Dhaka, the volume provides a rich body of researched knowledge, lessons from international experiences as well as strategic insights on the way forward.

Divided into four parts, the volumeexamines analytical perspectives onsocial protection and reviews international experiences on the developmental role of social protection, challenges of graduation, financing options, prioritizing a child focus, country-specific experiences of Mexico, China and Kenyaas well as the lessons for Bangladesh. Two concluding parts bring the focus on reform challenges for scaling up social protection and outlines the road ahead.