Over the past 30 years, the number of older people in low and middle income countries (LMICs) receiving a pension has grown rapidly. New national schemes have been established or extended and numerous pilot programmes set up, often with international support. The value of these pensions is not always...

This short paper aims to answer this question by assessing the evidence on Brazil’s social security system. It will examine the beneficiary numbers, budgets, levels of benefits and, importantly, impacts and coverage of the main social security schemes in Brazil. This paper will reveal that the real hero driving...

The Old Age Pension (OAP) is a tax-based scheme for all older persons. This non-contributory social pension also benefits other household members, particularly children. This brief explores Lesotho’s experience in extending the...

In the present report, the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons presents the findings of her visit to Mauritius from 28 April to 8 May 2015. The main objective of the visit was to identify both best practices and gaps in the implementation...

In the present report, the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons presents the findings of her visit to Austria from 22 to 30 January 2015. The main objective of the visit was to identify both best practices and gaps in the implementation of...

In the present report, the Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of All Human Rights by Older Persons presents the findings of her visit to Slovenia from 17 to 21 November 2014. The main objective was to identify both best practices and gaps in the implementation of existing laws related...

The present report, the first annual report to be submitted by a mandate holder, was prepared in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 24/20, in which the Council decided to establish the mandate of Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons. In the report,...

In this report, the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons addresses the right to autonomy and care, which she considers to be priority areas. The report provides an overview of the existing international and regional human rights standards and analyses in depth these...

This paper seeks to estimate the costs and impacts of expanding the coverage and improving the quality of cash transfers to older people and to families with young children in the countries of Latin...

This brief synthesizes research findings, analysis and policy recommendations on transforming pension systems to reduce gender gaps and protect women’s income security in old age. Ageing has a female face. Women not only live longer than men but are also less likely to enjoy income security and economic independence...

Article 17: The Right to Social Security All older persons have the right to social security to protect them so that they can live in dignity. State Parties shall progressively promote, within available resources, the provision of income to ensure a dignified life for older persons through social security...

HelpAge is an international network of organisations dedicated to achieving the right to social security so that all people can enjoy a dignified and secure older age. Pension Watch supports this aim by working towards universal pension coverage in developing countries. Our team of social protection experts engage with...

This paper documents the pervasiveness of women’s lack of income security in old age across a large number of countries, but also points to a number of important policy measures that can be taken to address gender pension gaps. It focuses on how pension systems interact with other social...

Relevant articles Article 26: Article 9 of the Covenant provides generally that States parties “recognize the right of everyone to social security”, without specifying the type or level of protection to be guaranteed. However, the term “social security” implicitly covers all the risks involved in the loss of means...

The world population is ageing at a steady, quite spectacular rate. The total number of persons aged 60 and above rose from 200 million in 1950 to 400 million in 1982 and is projected to reach 600 million in the year 2001 and 1.2 billion by the year 2025,...

This paper argues that reforms implemented in 2008, the re-nationalization of the private pension funds in Argentina and the introduction of a social pension in Chile have moved both countries toward greater social inclusion in old-age protection. In the case of Chile this was achieved in 2008 after extensive...

Population ageing is one of the most significant trends of the 21st century. It has important and far-reaching implications for all aspects of society. Around the world, two persons celebrate their sixtieth birthday every second – an annual total of almost 58 million sixtieth birthdays. With one in nine...

In 2010 Bolivia adopted a new constitution that established a new hierarchy of legal standards by giving precedence of international instruments ratified by state over national laws. In the spirit of harmonizing existing law to the new Constitution, the State and the Bolivian Workers’ Federation (COB) signed a framework...

In 1980 Chile reformed its pension system leading to the privatization of the pensions. This reform gave rise to several representation procedures before the Governing Body under article 24 of the ILO Constitution between 1986 and 2001. The Governing Body concluded that Chile’s pension reform did not comply with...

The Court was requested to examine whether Article 109 para. 1 of the Law of Azerbaijan Republic On Pension Maintenance of Citizens, allowing an 80 per cent reduction of pensions for entitled persons who are incarcerated, was inconsistent with the right to social protection, contained in Article 38 of...

This report provides recommendations on how to ensure that non-contributory pensions comply with core human rights standards. It also addresses the role of international assistance and cooperation in the field of social...

This paper systematically compares and evaluates the reforms of private pensions systems in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Hungary due to initial failures in design and performance after its implementation. The document presents advantages and flaws of the structural reforms and private pension systems before the re-reform and analyses legal...

This policy paper: (i) provides a global overview of the organization of pension systems, their coverage and benefits, as well as public expenditures on social security, in 178 countries; (ii) analyses trends and recent policies, e.g. extension of coverage in a large number of low- and middle-income countries; (iii)...

Recommendation No. 202 is the first international instrument to offer guidance to countries to close social security gaps and progressively achieve universal protection through the establishment and maintenance of comprehensive social security systems. To this aim, the Recommendation calls for (1) the implementation, as a priority, of social protection...

Summary: This paper seeks to estimate the costs and impacts of expanding the coverage and imrpoving the quality of cash transfers to older people and families with young children in the countries of Latin...