SGG 2: Eradicating Poverty through Social Support
A core pillar of the Agenda for Social Equity 2074, establishing a universal reference standard for safeguarding dignity and security through inclusive social protection systems.
Goal Statement and Definition
Goal Statement
Ensure that all individuals living in or at risk of poverty have access to reliable, adequate, and dignified social support systems that safeguard basic living conditions, reduce vulnerability, and enable participation in social, economic, and civic life across the life course.
Definition
For the purposes of Agenda 2074, eradicating poverty through social support refers to the establishment of accessible and responsive social protection mechanisms that prevent material deprivation, cushion social and economic shocks, and provide pathways out of poverty. Social support encompasses income security, basic subsistence, service access facilitation, and targeted assistance for vulnerable groups, delivered in ways that are non‑stigmatizing, rights‑based, and administratively accessible.
Strategic Rationale
Persistent poverty constitutes a structural failure of social systems rather than an individual condition. Where social support is fragmented, conditional, or inaccessible in practice, poverty reproduces across generations, undermines health and education outcomes, restricts labor market participation, and erodes institutional trust. Agenda for Social Equity 2074 therefore treats poverty eradication as a matter of systemic responsibility, anchored in social support that is predictable, inclusive, and dignified.
SGG 2 reframes social protection from residual relief to a stabilizing pillar of resilient societies. Effective social support systems protect individuals against income shocks, displacement, illness, disability, and caregiving burdens, while enabling long‑term capability building through education, work, and participation. By emphasizing adequacy, accessibility, and dignity, this goal strengthens social cohesion and reduces the structural drivers of inequality that perpetuate poverty over time.
This goal functions as an enabling standard for the entire Agenda 2074 framework. Gender equality, decent work, youth development, community resilience, and ethical technology governance cannot materialize in practice where access to health care, education, water, housing, energy, or connectivity is uncertain or conditional. By establishing minimum guarantees and governance expectations, SGG 1 transforms access from an aspirational outcome into a measurable, monitorable, and remediable condition of social systems.
Targets
In order to realise this goal, institutions across the public, private, cooperative, and civil‑society spheres should, as a minimum:
- Establish inclusive social support systems that ensure minimum income security and material for individuals and households facing poverty or vulnerability.
- Ensure that social support mechanisms are accessible in practice, including for persons facing administrative, legal, linguistic, or digital barriers.
- Design social support in ways that preserve dignity, avoid stigma, and do not penalize participation in education, caregiving, or lawful work.
- Provide adaptive support that responds to life‑course risks, including childhood deprivation, unemployment, illness, disability, old age, and crisis situations.
- Ensure transparency, accountability, and grievance mechanisms for social support decisions and delivery.
Targets are context‑adaptive and may be implemented through different institutional models, provided that their equity‑driven intent and protective function are preserved.
Indicative Indicators
Progress under SGG 2 may be illustrated through proportionate, non‑financial indicators, including but not limited to:
- Coverage of social support mechanisms among populations below or near poverty thresholds.
- Adequacy of support relative to defined minimum living standards.
- Administrative accessibility measures, such as processing times and documentation requirements.
- Continuity and predictability of support during economic, health, or social shocks.
- Existence and utilisation of grievance and appeal mechanisms related to social support decisions.
Indicators emphasize security, accessibility, and dignity rather than aggregate expenditure levels.
Alignment with Global and Regional Frameworks
Social Global Goal 2 deepens the social protection dimensions of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well‑Being), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), by positioning social support as a structural requirement for equity rather than a compensatory policy instrument.
The goal aligns closely with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, notably Aspiration 1 (A Prosperous Africa Based on Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development) and Aspiration 6 (An Africa Whose Development Is People‑Driven), by emphasizing social protection, shared prosperity, and systems that reduce vulnerability among marginalized and low‑income populations.
In European contexts, SGG 2 complements the European Green Deal by reinforcing the social dimension of the just transition. It addresses the need for robust safety nets to protect households and workers affected by structural economic, climate, and energy transitions, ensuring that poverty is not deepened as a by‑product of environmental and industrial reform.
Position within Agenda 2074
