Summary (English)

This discussion paper points out the political role of social protection for democratic governance and the establishment of security in a country.

Social protection programmes can contribute towards strengthening governance systems and enhancing state legitimacy, which in turn can positively affect democratisation and nation building processes. Democratisation and development are therefore no longer seen in terms of one being a prerequisite for or means of obtaining the other but as necessary and parallel processes which must be simultaneously pursued so that they can reinforce each other. This is particularly applicable for so-called fragile states, such as Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo or Somalia.