Social Security and the Rule of Law: General Survey concerning social security instruments in the light of the 2008 Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization
In March 2009, at its 304th Session, the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization decided that the recurrent item on the agenda of the 100th Session (2011) of the International Labour Conference should address the ILO strategic objective of enhancing the coverage and effectiveness of social protection, and...
Read MoreSocial protection for older persons: Key policy trends and statistics
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)...
Read MoreRapid extension of health protection
This policy brief summarizes the limited coverage of health protection today. It suggests three steps to rapidly extend health protection and achieve universal health coverage that is sustainable and allows for returns in terms of socio-economic development and growth. Link to this...
Read MoreMaternity and paternity at work: Law and practice across the world
This report reviews national legislative provisions on maternity protection at work in 185 countries and territories (including leave, benefits, employment protection, health protection, breastfeeding arrangements at work and childcare), statistical coverage in law and in practice of paid maternity leave as well as statutory provision of paternity, parental and adoption leaves....
Read MoreThe State of Food Insecurity in the World 2014: Strengthening the enabling environment to improve food security and nutrition
This report presents the most recent estimates of undernourishment and shows the progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and World Food Summit (WFS) hunger targets. Findings show that progress in hunger reduction at the global level and in many countries has continued but that substantial additional effort is needed in...
Read MoreSemi-conditional cash transfers in the form of family allowances for children and adolescents in the informal economy in Argentina
In 2009, Argentina introduced a new transfer programme for children and adolescents younger than age 18 (Universal Child Allowance) that extended coverage under the contributory programme for family allowances to include families in the informal economy and families of unemployed persons. This article describes this innovative programme, compares it...
Read MoreSocial security: Three lessons from the global crisis
This article focuses on three lessons that can be drawn from responses to the global crisis: People covered by different social security arrangements with respect to financing, design and coverage are exposed to economic shocks in different degrees. With adequate financing, design and coverage, social security acts as an economic...
Read MoreSocial protection and an enabling environment for the right to adequate food
This Thematic Study takes a retrospective glance at social protection related developments over a span of a decade from 2004 to 2014. It starts off mentioning the historical shift in development policymaking in the early 2000s from a narrow focus on risks to a wider focus on rights. This...
Read MoreSocial Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202)
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...
Read MoreConditional Cash Transfer Programmes: The recent experience in Latin America and the Caribbean
This document summarizes experience with conditional cash transfer or “co-responsibility” (CCT) programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean, over a period lasting more than 15 years. This document, which it is hoped will serve as a basis and input for discussion and progress in building social-protection systems premised on...
Read MoreThe rights-based approach to social protection in Latin America: From rhetoric to practice
Summary This paper aims to contribute to developing the normative framework for rights-based social protection systems and discusses lessons learned in some emblematic programmes implemented in Latin America which have sought to advance a rights approach. The paper emphasizes the added value of the rights-based approach and describes the...
Read MoreSocial protection for children: Key policy trends and statistics
This policy paper: (i) provides a global overview of the organization of child and family benefits in 183 countries; (ii) presents the negative impacts of fiscal consolidation and adjustment measures in a number of higher income economies; (iii) analyses trends and recent policies, e.g. extension of child and family...
Read MoreWorld Social Protection Report 2014/15: Building economic recovery, inclusive development and social justice
Social protection policies play a critical role in realizing the human right to social security for all, reducing poverty and inequality, and promoting inclusive growth – by boosting human capital and productivity, and by supporting domestic demand and structural transformation of national economies. This ILO flagship report provides a...
Read MoreReport on a human rights approach to the global and financial crisis (A/64/279). submitted by the independent expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty
This report addresses the impact of the current global financial crisis on people living in extreme poverty and the enjoyment of their human rights. It stresses that the crisis offers an opportunity to move beyond the restructuring of the global financial and monetary systems and to place people at the...
Read MoreReport of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights on her Mission to Paraguay (A /HRC/20/25/Add. 2)
The report focuses on a number of flagship programmes, including the Tekoporã conditional cash transfer programme, the Abrazo (“hug”) Programme and the Family Health Units Programme. The report recognizes that major strides have been made in the area of rights-based public policy planning. It also reviews the achievements of the social protection...
Read MoreReport of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights on her Mission to Namibia (A /HRC/23/36/Add.1)
While acknowledging the compounded challenges faced by Namibia – including limited institutional capacity, and the fact that Namibia has one of the world’s lowest population densities – this report concludes that progress has not been fast enough. There are still unacceptable levels of inequality along the lines of gender, race,...
Read MoreHuman rights-based approach to recovery from the global economic and financial crises (A/HRC/17/34)
In the present report, the United Nations Independent Expert on human rights and extreme poverty sets out the parameters of a human rights-based approach to recovery from the global economic and financial crises, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable and marginalized groups. She urges States to see...
Read MoreGeneral Comment No. 19 of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: The right to social security (Art. 9)
Article 9 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (the Covenant) provides that, “The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to social security, including social insurance.” The right to social security is of central importance in guaranteeing human dignity for all...
Read MoreAddressing the Global Health Crisis: Universal Health Protection Policies
This policy paper: (i) examines the dimensions of the global health crisis based on severe deficits in health protection and limited access to health care; (ii) presents the extent of the health crisis at global, regional and national level as well as rural/urban divergences within countries and their root causes; (iii)...
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