Policy Watch: Issue 3 June 2023

HIGHLIGHTS: 

• Over the years, the Government of Lesotho worked to develop and scale up a lifecycle approach to social assistance; and is increasingly looking to deploy social assistance programmes in response to  shocks
• Still, Lesotho has no overarching, all-encompassing legal framework to protect vulnerable populations through social assistance
• The Social Assistance Policy is meant to create the framework for a more harmonised and strengthened design and delivery of social assistance programmes, in line with the NSPS II strategy
• The policy acts as a guide for future legislation on social assistance programmes and also ensures a more rights-based approach to supporting vulnerable groups, including children, with social assistance