Understood this way, human rights can greatly contribute to building the political support necessary to establish and expand social protection systems. These obligations not only require States to put social protection systems in place, but they also constrain the manner in which they do so (obligations on the process) and their intended results (obligations on the outcome). Links between social protection and human rights Social protection and, in particular, cash transfer programmes – that have been the major focus of my work – are a tool that can assist States in fulfilling their obligations under international human rights law. In particular, they have the potential to help with the realization of several legally binding human rights, such as the right to an adequate standard of living including food, clothing and housing and the right to social security. They may also facilitate the realization of many other rights, such the right to education and the right to the highest attainable standard of health, as well as the right to take part in the conduct of public affairs. Thus, States must ensure that human rights principles and standards are taken into account when designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating social protection programmes. The design and implementation of the programmes should comply with core human rights obligations and general human rights principles such as (a) the principles of equality and non discrimination; (b) participation, (c) transparency and access to information and (d) accountability. It is only in doing so that States can ensure that those groups most in need of assistance, particularly minorities, will receive the support and assistance they require. As I will briefly explain today, while human rights standards certainly do not provide answers to all the challenges faced by policy makers when designing these programs, they