The Social Policy Program of the Graduate School of Social Sciences at Middle East Technical University, UNDP and the World Bank Turkey Offices hosted Dr. Monika Queisser (OECD), whose seminar was entitled "Transforming Social Protection for the 21st Century". Dr. Queisser talked about recent social policy reforms in the OECD countries. She stressed that the gap between the rich and poor is widening in the OECD countries and that the relative poverty of specific groups, most importantly children, has deepened over time. An "active" social policy approach would hence be important -- one that addresses the root causes of widening market incomes and focuses more on children and young people, centering on employment as the key factor that determines peoples' welfare. Dr. Queisser also emphasized that "active social inclusion" is a costly approach and that it would therefore need to be tailored to reach maximum success, which would include customized social services, well-defined rights, active work measures and better public sector delivery.

Short Biography
Monika Queisser is the Head of the OECD Social Policy Division and an expert in pension system analysis and pension reform. Prior to joining the OECD, Dr. Queisser worked at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., being a member of the pensions and insurance group in the Financial Sector Development Department. She worked with and traveled extensively to countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe to consult governments on pension and insurance matters. Her first employment was with the German IFO Institute for economic research in Munich. Her professional experience also includes employment as a journalist at daily newspapers and broadcasting in Germany. Dr. Queisser holds two Masters' degrees (in Economics and Journalism) and a Doctorate in Economic Policy from the University of Munich.
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