The discussion will be held in both Arabic and English, with interpretation available on Zoom only.

You can register to attend by following this link. You will receive a Zoom confirmation email should your registration be successful. Alternatively, you can watch the event live here on our Facebook page.

The Arab Reform Initiative (ARI)’s Social Protection Program is pleased to announce a virtual, public book discussion for "The Guide to Universal Social Protection in the Arab Region: Challenges and Opportunities," authored by Dr. Howaida Adly Roman. This book was published by ARI in Arabic in December 2023, which coincided with escalating tragedies in Gaza, and will be launched in this public event on March 26th following the release of its English version this week. This book discussion presents a valuable opportunity to engage a diverse audience in a critical conversation about achieving universal social protection in the Arab region, as it explores the potential for expanding social protection systems to encompass the most vulnerable groups across four Arab countries: Jordan, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Egypt. The event will take the format of a moderated panel discussion where the author will deliver a presentation highlighting the book's core arguments, key findings, and ensuing policy recommendations. It will host two discussants, experts in the field of social policy in the region, who will commentate on the book’s data, methodology, value added and contribution to the literature, findings and takeaways, and main recommendations, all while delving deep into crucial aspects of social protection reforms in Arab contexts, including:

• The specific challenges and opportunities for achieving universal social protection in the four aforementioned countries.
• The strategies for ensuring comprehensive and inclusive social protection coverage for specific vulnerable groups such as children, older persons, informal workers, and NEETs.
• The role of social protection in promoting equity, inclusive development, and social justice.
• The intricacies of enhancing social protection governance through stakeholder participation, transparency, accountability, among other tools.
• The importance of bridging the gap between research and policy: how to translate knowledge and evidence into concrete reforms.

We hope that this discussion will not only contribute to disseminating the book and its outcomes but to our broader mission of facilitating knowledge exchange, fostering collaboration, and generating concrete recommendations, aiming at promoting social justice and the well-being of all citizens in the Arab region.

This book was first published in December 2023 and does not reflect the updates and developments that took place in the region since then.