English

Español

Floor

Français

This panel will allow partner countries and development partners to commit to continue joining forces for achieving universal social protection as a key instrument for reducing inequalities and facilitating just transitions, including through the Global Gateway of the EU, the Digital Convergence Initiative, and other EU programmes, and the Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions.&nbsp;

The International Symposium, convened by the ILO, UNICEF, the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors (GCSPF) and the European Union, brings together policymakers, social partners, civil society, and development partners to discuss the innovative practices and strategies for building sustainable and rights-based social protection systems resulting from the Social Protection &amp; Public Finance Management Programme (SP&amp;PFM).

This first panel will showcase results and approaches adopted by partner countries in extending social protection coverage to all workers, including self-employed workers, migrant workers, women workers and workers in micro and small enterprises. This includes harnessing the potential of employers’ and workers’ representative organisations in enhancing compliance by raising awareness and informing their members on their rights and responsibilities, and in facilitating their access to social security and their transition to the formal economy. The presentations will also demonstrate how social protection can enhance gender equality and the inclusion of persons living with disabilities. Finally, the different country experiences will also highlight different financing strategies for supporting the extension of social protection in a sustainable and equitable manner, through a combination of contributory and non-contributory benefits.

Geneva

Opening and Panel 1: Extending social protection to all 

International Symposium on Improving Synergies between Social Protection and Public Finance Management

Social protection is a human right, and in certain circles, it is considered an expenditure, a cost. Evidence is mounting for it to be referred to as an investment, given its economic and social returns. The session will present new evidence on the positive returns of investing in social protection and will highlight experiences which successfully mobilise resources and create fiscal space to fund this investment even in the post-COVID-19 context characterised by multiple food, energy and economic crisis, growing debt burdens and calls for austerity.

Panel 2: Advocating for investing more and better in social protection

The panel will focus on how to improve rules and practices in the management of social protection resources. Programme budgeting will be highlighted as a key tool, but countries will also reflect about the importance of collecting and tracking consistent social protection spending data, as well as other indicators. Some pilot initiatives funded by the SP&amp;PFM programme, especially a tool to assess the performance of the social protection system from the perspective of public finance management, will be presented. Finally, workers’ and employers’ organisations will discuss how to push for more transparency and accountability in the management of social protection systems, and what role they could play.

Panel 3: Improving public finance management for social protection

Crises like the COVID-19 crisis often highlight the gaps in social protection systems but at the same time they are an opportunity to build back better. This panel will provide a platform for representatives of governments, employers, and workers to share examples of how their countries responded to a crisis by strengthening their social protection systems. The panel will highlight the role of unemployment protection in preparing countries for future crises and labour market transformations. It will also reflect on the importance of digitisation for reaching universal coverage and enhancing the responsiveness of social protection systems.

Panel 4: Strengthening social protection systems to prepare for future crisis and just transitions

Panel 5: Joining forces for universal and sustainable social protection and closing remarks

Davos

Switzerland

ILO Headquarters

Room IV

Palais des Nations

Room XX

Graduate Institute

Valérie Schmitt

International Labour Organization (ILO)

Moderator

Deputy Director, Social Protection Department

Angola

Isabel Emerson

Panelists

Deputy Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Angola

Dörte Bosse

European Commission

Deputy Head of Unit, Social Inclusion and Protection, Health and Demography

Nepal

Ram Kumar Phuyal

Honorable Member, National Planning Commission 

Beatrice di Padua

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

Officer for Economic Justice

Erica Gerretsen

Closing remarks

Director of Human Development, Migration, Governance and Peace

Natalia Winder Rossi

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Associate Director and Chief of Social Policy

Shahra Razavi

Director of the Social Protection Department

You're watching ILO Live

Media personalities speak out on the need for social justice 

Join the Global Coalition for Social Justice

ILC 2024: General Discussion on Decent Work and the Care Economy

This way to social justice

Why gender equality is central to advancing social justice

Conversation about the Maritime Labour convention, a unique, modern and innovation ILO instrument. Key maritime actors share insights onn the success stories around the MLC and its positive impact on seafarers and shipping. They describe the pivotal role of social dialogue in shaping maritime labour standards and highlight some of the challenges lying ahead as well as measures taken or envisaged to navigate them.

Navigating the Maritime Labour Convention: Past, Present, and Future

Beatriz Vacotto

Head of the Maritime Unit, International Labour Standards Department

Panama

Ceasar Gomez

Ambassador

Helio Vicente

International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)

Fabrizio Barcelona

 International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF)

Christine Bader

Maritime Specialist, Sectoral Policies Department

The ILC lunchtime conversations offer a chance to talk about important work-related topics. These informal discussions bring together experts to explore the key issues that are covered at the International Labour Conference (ILC).&nbsp;

60 years of <a href="https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_INSTRUMENT_ID:312267">Convention 122</a>: still relevant today, and can it support fair and inclusive changes?

60 years of Convention 122 on Employment Policy: Supporting structural transformation and just transitions

Just transition to environmental sustainability and social dialogue

As partnerships are key to the ILO’s development cooperation, the conversation explores diverse ways of partnering with the ILO.&nbsp;

Partnering with the ILO

What way forward on estimating and operationalizing living wages?

Artificial intelligence and the world of work

Accelerating decent jobs and universal social protection for just transitions. This conversation aims to promote the value-added by the Global Accelerator in supporting countries to overcome persistent poverty and inequality, and facilitating just climate,digital and demographic transitions through integrated policy approaches, increased financing and investments and enhanced multilateral cooperation. It also explains how this initiative develops capacities, enhances coherence and builds evidence for sustainable impact at scale.