Shaping the Future of Social Protection: Access, Financing and Solidarity has been prepared by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) for presentation at the thirty-first session of the Commission (Montevideo, Uruguay, 20-24 March 2006). This publication is a summary of that document. Contents Why social protection? Towards a rights-based social protection system and covenant Towards guaranteed universal health-care coverage Pension system reforms Social programmes and the challenges they face Bibliography