They said national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted inequalities in income, resources and vulnerabilities and there was the need to strategies towards achieving universal social protection coverage.

Mr Jeleel Odoom, Board Member, Africa Platform for Social Protection, said, “there is the need, therefore, to return to social policies that protect incomes by ensuring labour protection, social insurance and social protection.”

Mr Odoom was speaking at the National workshop on promoting Right-Based Legal Frameworks on Social Protection in Africa: Protocol on Social Security and Social Protection and the AU Social Agenda 2063 in Accra.

The workshop was on the topic: “Promoting rights-based legal frameworks on social protection in Africa: African Charter on humans and people’s rights on the rights of citizens to social protection, social security and the African Union Social Agenda 2063.”

He said systematic erosion of universal social services and social protection ensures structural poverty such as gender poverty, ethic poverty, demographic and intergenerational poverty which continue unabated.

He called on the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights to work with stakeholders to ensure implementation of Resolution 449 of 2020 as a pillar for the successful response to COVID-19 & recovery of socio-economic impact.

Mr Ebow Mensah, Programme Coordinator, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES Ghana), said, social protection was a human right and ought to be provided for members of the State to ensure their dignity and free development.

He said the workshop would enhance the knowledge of participants to engage Governments in areas of policy and FES Ghana would continue to provide platform for stakeholders to dialogue and share information to improve social protection in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr Lefhoko Kesamang, Senior Social Welfare Officer, African Union Commission, called on Africans to work and move the continent forward to attain Agenda 2063.

“We always want to blame politicians for everything but sometimes we need to play out role wherever we are and make the change we want to see,” he said.

Most recent data from the International Labour Organisation, indicated that Africa had the lowest social protection coverage in the world with 17 per cent of the population compared to the global average 47 per cent.

In February, 2022 Ghana adopted the Protocol to the African Charter on human and people’s right on rights to citizens social protection and social security

Member States are yet to ratify the protocols on rights to social protection, rights of older persons and rights of persons with disability in Africa.