Fourth International Policy Conference on the African Child7th December, Addis Ababa

Sarah HagueUNICEF Burkina Faso

Context The analysis The results The impact of the study so far What’s next…

Policy context: rapid expansion in social service access; 3rd PRSP in development; move toward growth focus + equity and social protection?

Child monetary povertyhigher than adults;

Economic context andcrisis: expansion ofdeficit target; openingfor social protection;

Incidence of monetary poverty (2003 LSMS)

Substantial increases; New policies to promote

offer and demand; Near to international

objectives – 18% budget on education and 10% on health;

But spending per head is decreasing due to rapid demographic growth and expansion of enrolment;

Technical objectives; Simulate child welfare impacts of the global crisis and policy responses in Burkina Faso;

And policy objectives: Evidence base on child poverty and vulnerability impacts of crisis and policy options;

Policy options simulated:◦ Food subsidy (1% GDP from aid);◦ Cereal price subsidy (0.2% GDP from aid);◦ Cash transfer to poor children 0-14yrs (1% GDP from

aid)◦ Cash transfer to all 0-5 yrs children (1% GDP from aid)◦ Cash transfer to poor children in 2 flooded regions

(0.4% GDP from aid)◦ Cash transfer to poor children in 2 flooded regions

(0.4% GDP from tax)

Multisectoral Steering Committee with oversight of MEF;

Drafted alongside Action Plan for Tackling the Economic Crisis;

Innovative partnership for research; PEP network; International/national team;

Training workshop for national researchers; Presentation of preliminary results globally; IMF collaboration; fiscal deficit; Making economic argument for investing in

children – 5 point in child mortality = 1 point in GDP growth;

Impact of crisis and of policy options;

Equity of impact; poorer regions worse affected

(Sahel 7.4 point increase) ; and rural/urban gaps (5.1 increase versus 2.4);

206

125

206

-16

259

186

259

51

250

134

250

-6

-100

-50

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

crise subvention biens alimentaires (1% PIB)

subvention produits céréaliers (0,2% PIB)

transferts en espèces enfants pauvres (1% PIB)

2009

2010

2011

options de politiques de réponse contre la crise

Food subsidies

Cash transfe

r

CRISIS

11

-38 -38

-98

6

-39 -34

-101

29

-12 -12

-87

-120

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

crise subvention biens alimentaires (1% PIB)

subvention produits céréaliers (0,2% PIB)

transferts en espèces enfants pauvres (1% PIB)

2009

2010

2011

options de politiques de réponse contre la crise

CRISIS

Food subsidies

Cash transfe

r

-9

-6

-9

-2

-12

-9

-12

-5

-12

-8

-12

-3

-20

-10

0

10

crise subvention biens alimentaires (1% PIB)

subvention produits céréaliers (0,2% PIB)

transferts en espèces enfants pauvres (1% PIB)

2009

2010

2011

options de politiques de réponse contre la crise

CRISIS

Food subsidies

Cash transfe

r

Provided an evidence base; macro and micro;

Provided concrete entry point through its formulation and discussion of results;

Clear link between impact and policy; Integration into global evidence base;

workshops and WB/IMF Annual Meetings;

Bringing in new voices into national debate;

Supported joint UN dialogue; UNDP/UNICEF workshop;

Informed government policy : moving away from solely macroeconomic response; first govt policy to include social protection; central cross-cutting policy objective; integrated into new PRSP;

Consolidating results so far; feeding wider policy debate – National Social Protection Policy;

Replicating model; studying fiscal space and investments for children – IMF collaboration;

Asking hard questions about efficiency of spending: PETS; PER results;

Repositioning the poverty debate; emphasising extreme poverty; national coalition on poverty;

Stronger equity focus;

Thank you!