This volume brings together the conference proceedings from the regional workshop on social assistance and conditional cash transfers, held jn 23-24 july 2009 at the Asian Development Bank

The 2001 Social Protection Strategy defines social protection as a set of policies and programs designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability by promoting efficient labor markets, diminishing people's exposure to risks, and enhancing their capacity to protect themselves against hazards and interruption/loss of income. It spells out the scope of ADB's commitment to develop priority interventions in supporting social assistance and welfare service programs including child protection and micro- and area based schemes to address poverty, and vulnerability; social insurance programs to cushion risks associated with unemployment, ill-health, disability, work-related injury and old age; and labor market policies and programs designed to generate employment, improve working conditions