A/70/297 6. Most social protection systems comprise contributory and non -contributory programmes, which can include universal benefit schemes, social insurance, social assistance and public employment programmes. Benefits can include child and family benefits, sickness and health-care benefits, disability benefits, old age and survivor benefits, employment injury benefits, unemployment benefits and employment guarantees, maternity benefits, income support and other benefits in cash and in kind. Social protection can be provided in many ways, with States establishing programmes according to their particular context and historical background. 7. Social protection programmes have the potential to directly affect the lives of persons with disabilities. Indeed, they can play a crucial role in reducing the consequences of sudden life-changing experiences (e.g., the loss of employment or a change in the family structure) and in crisis response, by contributing to alleviate the economic and social effects of economic downturns. 4 They can also play a crucial role in alleviating and preventing poverty and vulnerability, promoting effective access to health care and other services, and foster social inclusion and participation. 8. Moreover, social protection programmes can enhance the productivity, employability and economic development of persons with disabilities and therefore contribute to their income security. 5 Well-designed programmes can help to remove social and economic barriers that impede access to employment, and to secure access to capital and skill development programmes, thus creating better income earning opportunities for persons with disabilities. 9. Social protection can also constitute a powerful strategy for developing human capacity and promoting full and effective participation. By facilitating access to food, health care and education, as well as support services, social protection can enhance the independence, inclusion and active participation of persons with disabilities, as it liberates them from a day-to-day struggle for survival. B. Social protection floors 10. The implementation of nationally defined social protection floors is a wel come human rights-based strategy to promote the participation and the social inclusion of persons with disabilities. The Social Protection Floors Recommendation No. 202 (2012) of the International Labour Organization (ILO) represents an important commitment of States to the establishment of national social protection floors, providing basic social security guarantees, including at least a basic level of income security and access to essential social services for all, including persons with disabilities, across the life cycle. 11. As a foundation for any national social protection system, these floors must ensure, at a minimum, access to essential health care (including maternity care) and to a basic level of income security for (a) children — including access to food, __________________ 4 5 15-12544 The Global Social Crisis: Report on the World Social Situation 2011 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.10.IV.12). International Labour Office, The strategy of the International Labour Organization Social Security for All: Building Social Protection Floors and Comprehensive Social Security Systems (Geneva, 2012). 5/25