The Ministry of Social Transformation, Local Government, and Community Empowerment will be hosting a World Bank mission to Saint Lucia from Sep. 15 - 18.

Representatives from the World Bank and UNICEF/UN Women are scheduled to be on island for a joint donor coordination meeting on Wednesday, Sep. 16, as part of activities during the mission week.

The objectives of the mission week are to bring all stakeholders up to date regarding the progress made towards Saint Lucia’s Social Safety Net Reform, and to chart the way forward by highlighting the next steps for the project.

In 2009, a Social Safety Net Assessment (SSNA) was undertaken by Dr. Lorraine Blank for the Government of Saint Lucia. The assessment served to evaluate the existing Social Safety Net programs to determine whether they were indeed protecting the poorest and most vulnerable from multiple risk factors. The assessment confirmed that these social interventions and agencies suffer from a number of constraints and challenges in protecting the poor and vulnerable.

This initiated the Social Safety Net Reform, the aim of which has been to achieve minimum standards of living for the most vulnerable, guarantee systematic human capital investments, and promote participation in the labor market.

The Social Safety Net Reform consists of two phases and the Ministry of Social Transformation, Local Government and Community Empowerment has taken the lead in executing the reform.

Phase I of the reform focuses on the consolidation and strengthening of the Social Safety Net Programs and the development of mechanics for improved efficiency and effectiveness.

Phase II focuses on wider reforms for establishing a coherent and integrated Social Protection System, including social security.