Bissau, 14 June 2024 - The Ministry of Women, Family and Social Solidarity (MMFSS), through the General Directorate of Social and Solidarity Services (DGISS), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP), organised a workshop to validate the Social Registry Concept and Roadmap for Guinea-Bissau. UNFPA is the lead agency overseeing the development of this Social Register.

The opening ceremony was chaired by the Minister of Women, Family and Social Solidarity (MMFSS), flanked by the President of the National Statistics Institute, who attended the ceremony on behalf of the Minister of Economy, and the Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund.

In her speech, the Minister of Women, Family and Social Solidarity stressed that "this workshop is a crucial step towards the development and implementation of a comprehensive Social Registry, which will improve the orientation and delivery of social protection programmes in the country".

For his part, the President of the National Statistics Institute emphasised the importance of the Social Registry for Guinea-Bissau, as the data will help to enrich information on sector statistics, as well as the 4th general population and housing census to be held in 2025.

The workshop was organised over 2 days: the training session took place on 13 June 2024 and the validation of the draft social register took place on 14 June 2024 at the Royal Hotel in the capital Bissau.

The UNFPA representative stated that "social protection is a fundamental pillar for sustainable and inclusive development, ensuring that no one is left behind." He concluded: "It is an essential tool for reducing poverty, promoting equality and ensuring that all citizens, especially the most vulnerable, have access to the basic services necessary for a dignified life."

Around 70 participants from a diverse group of government institutions, civil society organisations, development partners, academic and research institutions, and private sector representatives were present.