Delegations from 11 countries exchanged experiences on key enablers, pathways and barriers to driving more economic opportunities for vulnerable households.
Salvador, Brazil, 4 December 2025 – The Global Alliance joined representatives from 11 countries and technical partners at the Jobs for the Poor (J4P) Impact Program Global Convening, held from 2-4 December in Salvador, Brazil to discuss ways to accelerate action on economic inclusion for the poorest households.
Organized by the World Bank, through the Partnership for Economic Inclusion (PEI), and Brazil’s Ministry of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger, the convening showcased country progress under the J4P initiative and highlighted opportunities to align this work with broader support provided by Global Alliance members.
Linking national action to global commitments
The J4P programme, delivered in collaboration with the Global Alliance Support Mechanism, builds on the World Bank’s Sprint 2030 commitments to advance socioeconomic inclusion programmes, aiming to reach 500 million people with social protection by 2030 – half of them women and girls.
Economic inclusion programmes – typically combining sequenced, multidimensional support to increase household income and assets – are a key component of the Global Alliance Policy Basket, reflecting the broader Alliance’s focus on integrated approaches to ending hunger and extreme poverty.
Countries compare pathways and barriers to scale
Panel sessions and group discussions brought together government representatives, practitioners, and development partners to exchange experiences and explore practical pathways to scale national economic inclusion programmes.
“Economic inclusion programs have emerged as an effective tool in the fight against poverty. We can leverage the capacities of over 200 Global Alliance members to help countries scale them up,” stated Renato Godinho, Director of the Global Alliance Support Mechanism at the event.
Delegations from Zambia, Rwanda, and Bangladesh, all countries participating in the Global Alliance Fast-Track Initiative, shared early progress showing how the J4P programme and the Global Alliance can reinforce one another. Through additional technical and financial assistance mobilized from Alliance members, countries are finding concrete ways to accelerate implementation and move towards national scale.
As host of the event, Brazil presented lessons from its own long-standing inclusion programs, including the Cisterns Program, the Food Purchase Program, and the Program for Strengthening Family Farming.
On the ground in Bahia: Economic inclusion in action
Participants got a first-hand look at three practical examples of Brazilian initiatives driving economic opportunities for low-income households.
The site visit to the Family Farming Emporium and distribution centres, part of the Bahia Produces and Feeds programme, demonstrated how smallholder organizations can aggregate, brand, and sell products to larger markets. The visit also included engagement with cooperative leaders that showcased high-quality products from smallholder organizations, sold across Brazil.
Delegates met entrepreneurs, primarily women, at the Units for Socio-productive Inclusion centers as part of the Urban Better Life programme, who have used skills training and financing to formalize and expand their small businesses. One beauty entrepreneur explained how she used financing to relocate and upgrade her workspace, resulting in an increase in her customer base.
Through the Believe in the First Step (Acredita) programme in partnership with Atento, a multinational company in customer relationship management, delegates saw pathways to formal jobs in action. The initiative connects individuals registered in the Social Registry to entry-level formal employment, while advancing diversity goals across gender, race and disability.
Governments set 2026 milestones to deepen and scale economic inclusion programmes
Countries concluded the convening with a commitment to refine and advance their national economic inclusion action plans through to February 2026. Several also signaled their intention to deepen collaboration with the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty to support implementation and scale-up.
The Global Alliance will continue working alongside governments and partners to ensure that lessons, evidence, and coordinated support accelerate progress toward large-scale, nationally-owned economic inclusion programs.
