Safety Nets for Protecting the Poor: What Can We Learn from International Experience?

This presentation discusses universal food subsidies and cash transfers as a tool to reduce poverty in the communities of Uzbekistan and Mexico. In addition, the relation between public works programs and program wage, minimum wage, and market wage are discussed with specific examples from Africa, Chile, and India. It was presented in the Poverty Reduction and Social Protection Network of the Regional Policy Dialogue at the Preparatory Meeting celebrated on October 19th and 20th, 2000 in Washington, D.C