Digital Convergence Initiative (April 2026) This report examines the barriers and enablers of digital interoperability aimed at enhancing the cross-border portability of social security entitlements across contributory schemes that address key life-cycle risks.

worldbank.org (18-02-2026) Indonesia’s population is aging, signaling both challenges and opportunities for the nation’s workforce. The old-age dependency ratio, the proportion of elderly to the working-age population, is expected to more than double over the next quarter of a century, from 11.0 percent in 2025 to 22.8 percent in 2050. Higher dependency ratios are associated with lower economic growth, and aging populations can lead to higher medical expenses and a shrinking workforce.

developmentpathways.co.uk (february 2026) Nigeria faces a growing old age poverty risk as most workers, especially in the informal economy, lack reliable pension coverage. In this Perspective, Pietro Bonanome, Social Protection Specialist at Development Pathways, argues that the voluntary Micro Pension Plan and heavily targeted safety-net approach leave a large group of Nigerians without protection. He calls for a phased universal old-age pension, showing that international experience demonstrates such schemes are affordable and effective.

ilo.org(25.02.2026) This Intervention Model aims to provide policymakers and practitioners with succinct practical guidance on how to extend social protection to migrant workers, refugees and other displaced populations so as to protect them against the adverse effects of climate change, while also benefiting from a just transition. The intervention model includes a brief overview of the obstacles, the international legal framework, and a set of proposed policy options based on existing country practices and international labour standards.

cgap.org (February 2026) This Working Paper reviews how different countries have designed pension schemes for informal workers. It focuses on contributory schemes for the “missing middle”: informal workers who have sufficiently stable incomes to save for old age but lack access to suitable pension options. The paper draws upon public documentation and literature on how to target and scale pension schemes for informal sector workers.

iadb.org (August 2025) The System for the Identification of Potential Beneficiaries of Social Programs (Sisbén) is Colombias main instrument for targeting social policies. To date, Sisbén has gone through four versions and uses statistical tools and techniques to identify and rank the population according to their socioeconomic situation. Recently, Colombia began the transition from Sisbén to the Social Registry of Households (Registro Social de Hogares, RSH).

worldbank.org (22.01.2026) Governments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face growing pressure to create jobs amid shrinking fiscal space and weak growth prospects. Employment solutions - like active labor market programs (ALMPs), regulatory reforms, or alignment of social programs - are effective tools to address these challenges. Recent years have seen a strengthening evidence base for employment solutions, with rigorous evaluations indicating that well-crafted programs can achieve impacts that far exceed earlier interventions.

developmentpathways.co.uk (January 2026) In this paper, Richard Chirchir and Paul Njoroge Mwangi explore Kenya’s journey from cash to code, showing how digital payments have reshaped social protection programmes. The paper describes how Kenya transitioned from manual cash disbursements to fully digital, mobile money-based social payments.

socialprotection.org (12.12.2025) This paper considers the methodological challenge of mapping systemic risks and harms emerging from the use of algorithms and artificial intelligence in social welfare systems. Recent tragedies in social welfare put focus on the role of algorithmic systems in the execution of social security policies, motivating new governance and regulatory measures. While many efforts have tried to address risks at the level of the technology, individual process or organization, algorithmic risks in social welfare are inherently sociotechnical.

idos-research.de (2025) The historical influence of colonial powers and the continued, deep-rooted engagement of international development actors in shaping social protection systems is widely recognized across academic and policy arenas. Nevertheless, evidence of the role of coloniality in social protection remains limited. This Discussion Paper explores the enduring impact of colonialism on contemporary social protection systems by considering the role of coloniality in social protection in the Global South, and Africa in particular.