This Primer is intended to provide UNDP Country Offices, programme staff and relevant partners with a practical resource on ways to strengthen social protection to address the systemic and interlinked objectives of the Sustainable Development Agenda. It articulates and highlights some lessons learned from the countries that are leading the way in thinking about social protection in the context of sustainable development. Ensuring that no one is left behind is not just about transferring resources that push people above the poverty line, it is also about ensuring that people have the freedom, opportunities and access to live the lives they value. Social protection, when designed and implemented from a social inclusion perspective, is an important means to fulfil this commitment.