With the purpose of charting a course for social protection in Sudan that will bridge the gap between research and policy, facilitate dialogue among key stakeholders and contribute to developing a shared vision for social protection in Sudan, this conference took place from 21–22 May 2025 in Nairobi, organized by the Rift Valley Institute.

The conference brought together more than 40 predominantly Sudanese experts on social protection, humanitarian assistance and the private sector. A particular concern was to create a safe environment where participants could discuss complex and sometimes charged issues and to think creatively about what a re-imagined social protection could look like in the current context of Sudan: in short, to create a Sudanese-led vision for the future of social protection in the country.

To this end, recent research and knowledge of the past social protection system and its vestiges in the current time were considered and analysed to see what could be learned and applied in the current reality. This led to conversations about the protracted crisis, the pervasive and predatory political economy that is feeding the conflict, and lessons from conflict-sensitive programming.

As part of the conference, a forward-looking strategic planning session challenged conventional humanitarian planning, offering a shift toward adaptive, locally grounded approaches to social protection in Sudan’s fractured landscape. The session convened 45 experts, practitioners and humanitarian actors to co-develop actionable strategies, balancing short-term response with long-horizon planning.