Landmark Report Calls for Social Protection to Be Recognised as Investment in Peace and Stability

November 05, 2025

The High-Level Panel on Social Protection in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings has launched its landmark report, Social Protection for Stability: A Catalytic Agenda, calling for social protection to be treated as a strategic investment in peace, stability, and resilience.

The report was unveiled during a panel discussion at the United Nations Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar, bringing together global leaders, policymakers, and practitioners to explore how social protection can contribute to peace, stability, and inclusive development.

Leaders from the U.K., Somalia, and Syria discuss social protection and stability at the UN’s Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha.

With 70 percent of the world’s extremely poor people living in high-fragility contexts—places most affected by conflict, climate shocks, and displacement—the report warns that without urgent action this figure could rise to 90 percent by 2040. Despite the growing need, only 3.4 percent of aid to fragile settings in 2023 was directed toward social protection.

Drawing on evidence from the Panel’s global public enquiry, the Catalytic Agenda sets out nine practical recommendations to help governments and partners close this gap. These include prioritising people-centred design, working through national systems where feasible, planning early transitions from humanitarian assistance to national institutions, and ensuring that social protection systems can continue to operate during crises.

The report underscores that social protection, when effectively delivered, enables people to live with dignity, rebuild livelihoods, and strengthen trust between citizens and the state—a foundation for lasting peace and stability.

Read the full report here.

The High-Level Panel was supported by the Social Protection Technical Assistance, Advice, and Resources (STAAR) Facility, funded by the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and delivered by DAI. STAAR strengthens the quality and impact of the U.K.’s investments in social protection, helping systems provide timely, predictable support that empowers people to manage risks and overcome inequalities. By linking humanitarian aid with long-term national systems, STAAR builds resilience, enhances coordination, and makes assistance more sustainable.