Introduction to the campaign on Social Security and Coverage for All - A universal need - A universal challenge - Social Security for All

Background

Only one in five people in the world has adequate social security coverage. The other four need it too, but somehow must manage without. Governments, employers' and workers' organizations considered that the highest priority should be given to "policies and initiatives that bring social security to those who are not covered by existing systems". At the International Labour Conference in June 2001, they asked the ILO to launch a Global Campaign on Social Security and Coverage for All.

Overview

Social security is essential for the well-being of people and society. It is a basic human right, and its fulfillment will contribute to achieving the various Millennium Development Goals. It will contribute to reducing infant and maternal mortality as well as to halving, by 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day. Social security helps to ensure a decent standard of living and it lifts many people out of poverty. It is closely linked with employment and often provides support to those unable to work. With the development of decent work, social security can progressively be extended to everyone. Strategy: The first phase of the campaign will last for five years until 2006. During this period the objective is to place, in as many countries as possible, the extension of social security at the top of the development agenda and to support national and international policy makers in developing strategies to extend coverage. Such strategies will be inspired by values, such as solidarity and universality, and will be based on cost-effective ways to extend social security.

Everyone needs access to social security, in whatever society one lives. Children need financial support from society to help their families cope with the cost of education and health care. Workers need protection against the risk of loss of income because of incapacity for work. This may be for short periods of unemployment or sickness or maternity or for a longer time due to invalidity or employment injury. Employers and enterprises need social security for a productive workforce. Pensioners need income security for a satisfactory and fulfilling retirement. Society needs social security for stable labour relations. Social security helps create a positive attitude towards structural and technical change as well as to the challenges of globalization and its potential benefits.

Most countries, however, will have to work towards the gradual development of adequate social security provisions to match these needs. This is most likely in the developing countries where the needs are greatest and where the majority of the labour force is obliged to rely on employment in the informal economy. In 2001, during the International Labour Conference, Governments, employers' and workers' organizations reached a new consensus on social security. They concluded that social security is an important tool to reduce poverty and to promote social and economic development. If properly managed, it enhances productivity by providing health care, income security and social services and it is a necessary complement to globalization and structural adjustment policies. The International Labour Conference considered that the highest priority should be given to "policies and initiatives, which can bring social security to those who are not covered by existing systems". It therefore asked the International Labour Organization to launch a global campaign on social security and coverage for all.

Strategy

The first phase of the campaign will last for five years until 2006. During this period the objective is to place, in as many countries as possible, the extension of social security at the top of the development agenda and to support national and international policy makers in developing strategies to extend coverage. Such strategies will be inspired by values, such as solidarity and universality, and will be based on cost-effective ways to extend social security.

There is a large variety of policies and institutions that can be used to reach the goal of social security for all. The basis for such as strategy is a comprehensive diagnosis of people' social security needs and of the various actors and institutions. Statutory social security schemes can extend existing or modified benefits to previously excluded groups or contingencies. They may also enhance their effectiveness through improved governance and design. New schemes may have to be developed. It is also fundamental to encourage and support the development of innovative decentralised social security schemes to provide social protection through community or group support. Finally, it is vital that all actors and institutions work together within the context of a national policy framework, so that sustainable linkages can be developed between schemes that serve different parts of the populations. Priority will be given to finding ways of providing relevant and effective coverage to workers in the informal sector and their families.

The goals of the global campaign can only be fully achieved in partnership with national institutions and policy makers, employers and workers organizations, key actors from various groups in civil society and in collaboration with other international organizations and development agencies.

Agenda 2002-2006

• Achieve concrete improvements in coverage for as many countries as possible.
• Strengthen know-how and develop useful tools for key actors.
• Place social security at the top of the international policy agenda.

Actors & Partners

The extension of social security requires the commitment of all governments, employers' and workers' organizations. However, the objectives of the campaign can only be achieved together with various partners, such as the United Nations family, the International Financial Institutions, the International Social Security Association, development agencies, national institutions (such as social security institutions and universities) and civil society.

Activities

Knowledge development, technical cooperation, advocacy, resource mobilization as well as monitoring and evaluation will reinforce each other.

• Knowledge development
• Technical assistance at the country level
• Advocacy and promotion
• Monitoring and evaluation

Knowledge Development

The process of extending social security is new and complex. Knowledge on this process will have to be developed, in a process of experimentation and of dialogue. A great deal of work has to be done on developing innovative strategies and on testing useful mechanisms to extend social security. The emphasis will be on the following activities:

• Develop and test methods to assess and monitor unmet social security needs and the various options to meet them.
• Identify, document, analyze and share information on (good and bad) practices around the world.
• Develop and test new mechanisms to reach out to workers in the informal economy for several types of priority needs.
• Carry out and support research on the linkages between the extension message and other values and internationally accepted goals, such as Human Development, Poverty Reduction, Decent Work and international public goods.
• Develop guidelines and tools for implementing extension mechanisms as well as for assessing their impact and results.
• Establish and strengthen partnerships with relevant scholars and academic institutions.

Technical assistance at the country level

One of the main aims of the campaign is to support the development of new and effective ways to extend social security coverage, particularly in low-income countries. The ILO is currently assisting more than 30 countries. Future technical assistance activities - in a continuing process of social dialogue - will focus on:

• Comprehensive diagnosis of people's social security needs, of capacities, potentialities and of costs.
• Formulation and implementation of national strategies.
• Training of actors and partners.
• Strengthening institutions and social dialogue.
• Establishing networks of committed individuals and institutions.
• Monitoring and evaluation of process and results.

Advocacy and promotion

These activities will aim at a variety of target audiences, such as national and international policy makers; the social partners; the general public and civil society; as well as development agencies. They will consist of the following:

• Produce a state of the world social security report.
• Disseminate practical guides, studies and working papers.
• Organize seminars and meetings.
• Develop and carry out a media strategy.
• Develop and negotiate policy platforms with key partners.

Monitoring and evaluation

Regular monitoring and evaluation is necessary to know what progress has been made, and how performance can be improved in the future. The activities will focus on:

• Develop indicators.
• Regular evaluations.