An International Seminar on Social Protection and Public Finances in Asunción, Paraguay (29 March) showcased a project providing technical assistance to Paraguay’s Government on managing public finances and identifying resources for social protection. That project has supported the design and implementation of the social protection system, ¡Vamos!, in four territories and continues to build up government capacity in developing social protection programmes in the context of results-based budgeting, which was recently adopted in the country.

 The seminar attracted 94 participants, including officials from the Technical Unit of the Social Cabinet and the General Budget Directorate of the Ministry of Finance as well as the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Children and Adolescents, among others involved in the ¡Vamos! Initiative. Also invited were representatives of workers’ and employers’ organizations, civil society, members of international cooperation agencies and students of the Diploma in Design and Management of Social Protection Programmes.

 Carlos Galian, ILO Technical Officer in Social Protection Financing, gave the keynote presentation on “Financing Social Protection: The Importance of Public Finances”. And Monica Rubio, UNICEF Regional Social Policy Advisor and former Minister of Development and Social Inclusion of Peru, spoke on “Child-Sensitive Social Protection”. The opening ceremony was attended by national authorities and representatives of cooperation agencies.

Learn more about SP&PFM in Paraguay