Social Protection Floor For A Fair And Inclusive Globalization

In many ways the power of the social protection floor lies in its simplicity. The floor is based on the idea that everyone should enjoy at least basic income security sufficient to live, guaranteed through transfers in cash or in kind, such as pensions for the elderly and persons with disabilities, child benefits, income support benefits and/or employment guarantees and services for the unemployed and working poor. Together, in cash and in kind transfers should ensure that everyone has access to essential goods and services, including essential health services, primary education, housing, water and sanitation. This report, prepared under the guidance of Ms Michelle Bachelet and members of the Advisory Group, shows that the extension of social protection, drawing on social protection floors, can play a pivotal role in relieving people of poverty and deprivation. It can in addition help people adapt their skills to overcome the constraints that block their full participation in a changing economic and social environment, contributing to improved human capital development and stimulating greater productive activity. The report also shows how social protection has helped to stabilize aggregate demand in times of crisis and to increase resilience against economic shocks, contributing to accelerate recovery towards more inclusive and sustainable development paths.

Shows how social protection can play a pivotal role in relieving people of the fear of poverty and deprivation, delivering on the promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Highlights the extension of social protection as a piece in a fairer and inclusive globalization. Shows how the social protection has helped to stabilize aggregate demand in times of crisis and to increase resilience against economic shocks, contributing to accelerate recovery and more inclusive and sustainable development paths.

Contains the English and French versions of the proposed Recommendation on the social protection floor, drawn up on the basis of the observations made by governments and employers' and workers' organizations.

This report has been compiled by the World Commission on the Social Dimensions of Globalization, an independent body established by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2002, and whose membership includes international politicians and government advisers from developed and developing countries, academics and representatives of business and multinational corporations, trade unions and civil society organisations. The report explores the social dimensions of globalisation and the need to build a fair and inclusive global economic system, and argues that the dominant perspective on globalisation must shift from a narrow focus on markets to encompass a broader recognition of the needs of people in the communities in which they live. Issues highlighted and recommendations made in the report include: better governance and accountability at both national and international levels to foster productive and equitable markets; empowerment of local communities, including gender equality; sustainable development based on the interdependent pillars of economic, social and environmental development; fairer rules for international trade, investment and finance; measures to overcome inequality and raise capacity to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); and a stronger multilateral framework based on an effective United Nations.

Despite the international community’s recognition of social protection as a human right, the vast majority of the world’s population still has no access to social protection. In a major effort to address this situation, the International Labour Conference unanimously adopted the Social Protection Floors Recommendation 202 of 2012. However, because of the wide variety of possible schemes (and techniques that can be employed to administer them), there is a genuine risk that important values relating to social protection will be overlooked in implementing the Recommendation. This collection of expert essays contains an in-depth clarification and analysis of the Recommendation and sets forth a clear and practicable set of principles that can be used both as a policy tool and as an assessment framework for the creation, maintenance, and supervision of a national social protection floor. This book pays detailed attention to each of the Recommendation’s key principles, including the following: – state responsibility; – universality of protection; – entitlement based in law; – adequacy and predictability of benefits; – non-discrimination; – financial solidarity; – good governance; – coherence of policies; and – social participation. A special feature of the book is its inclusion of case studies that display innovative social protection schemes focusing on children and families, persons of working age (particularly informal sector workers), and elderly persons. A concluding section offers useful insights on measures that can be taken and lessons learned. As a deeply informed and practical guide to ways in which states can (and do) establish and maintain a social protection floor as a fundamental element of their national social protection systems, this book has no peers. It will be warmly welcomed by jurists concerned with social protection throughout the world, by pertinent government agencies at all levels, by non-governmental organizations, and by academics in the field.

Social security represents an investment in a country's human infrastructure, which is no less important than its physical infrastructure. This book outlines basic concepts such as the social protection floor and the social security staircase, analyses the affordability of various approaches, and examines the results of practices around the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Its second part weighs the pros and cons of conditional cash transfers and, based on a wealth of statistics, argues that effective social transfer programmes not only alleviate poverty, but also improve labour market participation, productivity, nutrition, health care, education, consumption and social inclusion. The overall message is that such investment can benefit poorer countries as well as richer ones, and that even in times of tightened budgets and global economic crisis , the dividends are well worth the expenditure.

In 2012, organizations including the United Nations, G20, and International Labor Organization adopted a global policy initiative known as the social protection floor--a set of measures designed to ensure that all people have access to essential health care and income security over their lifespan. This book, authored by a leading authority on global social policy, traces the emergence of the social protection floor and identifies the major influences that shaped it: shifts in the world's social structure, processes inside international institutions, attempts by global actors to create change, and shifts in the global conversation about social protection.

The global economic crisis continue to dominate headlines, yet measures to build a social floor under the global economy and reform global governance have received little attention. In 2012 the Social Protection Floor was adopted as a global social policy measure ensuring that all could have access to essential health care and income security over their lifespan. This book by the world’s leading authority on global social policy examines why and how the Social Protection Floor became ILO, UN and G20 policy and how the World Bank and IMF took steps to lay its foundation. Bob Deacon explains this development in terms of four influences: firstly, shifts in the global social structure, secondly, processes inside international institutions, thirdly, global actors -sometimes individuals - using their positions to make change, and fourthly, shifting discourses about social protection. This much-needed contribution to the field of global social policy will be of interest to students of international relations, international organization and development studies and should be read by international civil servants in global agencies.