Social Protection and Decent Employment

Baseline

Thomas WissingDirector a.i., ILO Mexico

InterAmerican Network for Social Protection (RIPSO)

Technical Consolidation MeetingFourth pannel: International Alliances

Mexico, D.F., August 11, 2011

Social protection and Decent employment

• Definition of “decent employment”: Productive, fairly paid, with freedom, equity and dignity

• Definition of “social protection” according to ILO:– Social security (unemployment, inability,

disability, old age, death) Agreement number 102

– Maternity protection– Security and health during work hours– Essential services and social transfers

Social protection baseline:Concept

• Promote basic social rights for all– Protection against globalized system risks

(economic transformations, pandemics, climate change, financial crisis, etc.)

– Ensure a minimum income and means to live for all; through monetary transfers or in kind comply with all economic, social and cultural rights.

• Provide access to essential social infrastructure and services:– Health services– Access to water and hygiene– Education services– Housing services– Access to key information to preserve life

Global Initiative for a Social Protection Baseline

• 2009: Chief Executives Board of the United Nations System:– Adopts the Global Initiative for a Social

Protection Baseline– Answer to the economic and financial crisis

Global employment pact (ILO, 2009). – Acknowledges that its necessary and

feasible to guarantee access to essential services and social transfers for all, with emphasis on the poor and vulnerable.

– Integral approach to social protection, ensuring access to essential goods and services.

Global Initiative for a Social Protection Baseline

• Objective: guarantee services and transfers throughout their life for children, workers with low income, single mothers, people suffering from disabilities, senior citizens, etc. social justice + economic development social and economic stabilizer in times of crisis.

• The initiative doesn't establish minimum universal levels of those services and actually allows for each country to set their feasible levels and define which are to be considered essential services that can be provided within their borders.

Global Initiative for a Social Protection Baseline

• 2010 Millenium Summit:– Promote access to social services and ensure

that the social protection baselines will contribute to the improvement and development of actions striving to meet the Millenium Goals.

• 100th International Labor Conference 2011:– Social security is a human right, as well as a

social and economic necessity.– Closing the existing gaps in social security

access is a priority to ensure economic growth, social cohesion and decent employment for all.

– Important role of tripartism and of the social actors

Social Protection ladder

• The ILO suggests contemplating a social security ladder, with:– A baseline which comprises a set of basic

guarantees for all;– A second level of contributory benefits as

a right, financed by workers and employers (defined and protected in relation with the minimum levels established by law), and;

– A higher level of voluntary contributions. This last level could have a public, private or mixed agency and should be object to regulation and public supervision.

Seguridad económica

Access to essential servicesAccess to essential services

Social Social Protection Protection BaselineBaseline

Guarantees of a Guarantees of a minimum level of minimum level of benefitsbenefits

Seguros sociales

Seguros voluntariosWelfareWelfareBenefit Benefit Guarantees Guarantees according to according to contributionscontributions

VejezNiñez Adultez

Economic security (Income security: employment and/or transfers)Economic security (Income security: employment and/or transfers)

Social securitySocial security

Voluntary insuranceVoluntary insurance

Childhood Adulthood Old Age

Social Protection Ladder

Expansion of Social Protection

• Horizontal: guarantee access to fundamental basic services and income security during a persons life-span.

• Vertical: Ensure in a progressive manner, higher levels of protection in terms of quantity (coverage) and quality, complying with the C.102 criteria.

RIPSO Objectives

• Reduce inequality and social disparity• Reduce extreme poverty

Strategies:• Information exchange regarding:

– Policies– Programs– Better practices

• Hemispheric cooperation mechanism and transfer of experiences

Area of Opportunity 1:Capacity Building

• Clarifying concepts (“basic guarantees”, “essential services”, “income security”, etc.) ILO agreements

• Analysis and design skills (prospective studies, actuarial, policy making, etc.)

• Inter-ministerial coordination capacities technical assistance to create and consolidate coordination mechanisms ensure primary attention to basic needs

• Planning, implementing and supervision capacities: conditional transfer programs, social programs, labor programs social security governance

• Reinforce links with the labor market and ensure that the benefits contribute to the individual and collective employability (vulnerable groups – youths, women, people with disabilities) and the insertion to Decent Work.

Area of Opportunity 2:Applied research

• Analysis of financial and fiscal implications (mixing contributive and non-contributive strategies; fiscal burden; formalization and tax improvements; coordination of synergies).

• Based on the concept of decent work, make studies on the impact of financial, economic, social, labor and educational policies to reach the millenium goals.

• Develop indicators to measure quantity (coverage increase) and quality (opportunity, speed, impact) of social protection

• See VI CIT 2011 report, chapter 6.3

Area of opportunity 3:International Alliances

• ILO regional structure, including Academic Networks + SIALC

• CIMT + Social Development Ministries• Employers and workers international

agencies (CSI, OIE, COSATE, CEATAL)• AISS, CIESS• OMS, CEPAL, PNUD, FAO, ONUMujeres