ESCAP holds a National Consultation and Workshop on social protection in Mongolia
On 7 June 2023, ESCAP conducted a one-day event on social protection in Mongolia. The event was convened in collaboration with Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MLSP) and the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office.
The morning session discussed the draft report on Mongolia’ Readiness to Implement the Action Plan to Strengthen Regional Cooperation on Social Protection in Asia and the Pacific and gathered over 50 participants from key Departments, the national agencies on Social Protection, as well as key international entities and research institutes. Participants discussed the non-contributory and contributory systems in Mongolia, following the presentation delivered by the Acting State Secretary and Director of Policy Planning Department, Ms. А. Khishigbayar, with a focus on the objectives of the social protection policy reform that is underway, and debated the proposed recommendations to implement the 12 national actions in the Action Plan. The consultation provided a useful forum for debate as the Government embarks on a reform of the General Law on Social Insurance and Pension Payable from Social Insurance Fund to ensure its financial sustainability, in line with international standards.
In the afternoon, ESCAP conducted a workshop on its SPOT Social Protection Simulator. The Meeting strengthened capacity of participants to identify the impact of non-contributory social protection benefits on key development outcomes such as poverty, inequality and consumption and the cost of these interventions. Participants highlighted its usefulness to strengthen advocacy and the evidence base on social protection.
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1. Introduction
ESCAP and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Mongolia jointly held a one-day event on social protection in the Mongolia on 7 June 2023. The event comprised:
- National Consultation on Readiness to Implement Action Plan to Strengthen Regional Cooperation on Social Protection: Mongolia
- Workshop on SPOT Social Protection Simulator
Workshop on SPOT Social Protection Simulator
ESCAP has developed a microsimulation model, the SPOT Simulator, that enables users to examine the impact of different design features of non-contributory schemes on poverty, consumption, inequality and cost. Drawing on Household Income and Expenditure Surveys, the Simulator calculates the impact of providing non-contributory child, disability, and old age benefits on development outcomes at the household and population level. Presented in a user-friendly manner, it aims to make data around social protection policy options more accessible for policy makers.
The SPOT Simulator is a tool to support countries in building stronger, more inclusive, and comprehensive social protection systems in Asia and the Pacific. The half-day Workshop will introduce the SPOT Simulator and enhance understanding of its functions and relevance to supporting policy making on social protection.
2. Objectives
Through the Workshop on the ESCAP SPOT Social Protection Simulator, participants will:
- Understand the SPOT Simulator design parameters of social protection schemes and tailor parameter settings
- Identify impact of universal social protection benefits have on poverty, consumption, and inequality, consumption and coverage
- Estimate costs of social protection schemes as proportion of GDP and government revenue
3. Participants
Participants were key stakeholders in relevant line ministries and development partners working on social protection.
4. Format
The Workshop involved interactive group exercises. Participants were kindly requested to bring their own laptops to access the online tool during the Workshop.