Social Protection and Social Inclusion in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
Social Protection and Social Inclusion in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
Project objective
Since 2008, the European Council has been working in concert with the Eastern Partnership countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine to strengthen common EU values. As part of this effort, a desk research project titled “Social Protection and Social Inclusion in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia” was funded by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. The aim of the project was to develop country reports for Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia that would provide comprehensive information on the social inclusion and protection situation in the South Caucasus region. The reports were prepared by CRRC-Armenia, CRRC-Azerbaijan and the Institute of Social Studies and Analysis (ISSA) during the period between July 2009 and November 2010. The country reports were used by GVG (Gesellschaft für Versicherungswissenschaft und – gestaltung e.V.) to produce a synthesis report. Details of the project can be found from the European Commission’s respective webpage.
Research design
To develop country reports, local experts within the fields of labor, macroeconomics, education, migration, demography, poverty, social protection, pension systems, and healthcare cooperated closely with international experts (Sabine Horstmann, Birgit Garbe-Emden, Walter Wolf, Jakub Wtorek, Yvette Shajanian Zarneh, Paul Stubbs, and others), using the Open Method of Coordination (OMC). Use of this methodology is intended to assist with cross comparison making, while respecting the cultural integrity in order to effectively promote development of the European social model in respective countries.
Outputs
The “Armenia Social Inclusion and Social Protection Country Report” was prepared by a team of experts (Susanna Karapetyan, Heghine Manasyan, Nune Harutyunyan, Astghik Mirzakhanyan, Misak Norekian). The document, like the other two country reports, (a) provides an up-to-date and relevant information and comprehensive analysis on current social protection and healthcare systems; (b) highlights the key challenges, sources of risks and policy issues; (c) outlines country specific problems; and (d) links the strategies of sustainable economic growth to social cohesion, equity and equal opportunities for all members of society by assuring adequate, accessible, financially sustainable and efficient social protection system and social inclusion policies.
Along with the full report with statistical annexes, Executive Summaries were prepared in Armenian, English, and Russian for dissemination among stakeholders.
Key findings from Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian country reports, as well as from the Synergy report for South Caucasus were presented during the TAIEX Conference on Social Protection and Social Inclusion in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia held in Tbilisi on May 19-20, 2011.