The role of social security in social and economic development Recurrent discussion on the strategic objective of social protection (social security): Social security for social justice and a fair globalization 100th Session of the International Labour Conference, June 2011

Social security and its role in society and in promoting economic growth and social development Social security as a human right Defines minimum level of social security Promotes social citizenship and social cohesion Provides for a minimum level of redistribution of income Social security as economic necessity Facilitates productive employment and enhances productivity Fosters transition to the formal economy Strengthens economic resilience Social security as social necessity Reduces poverty and vulnerability Fosters investments in human capital Promotes social justice and social cohesion

Enhancing resilience: Lessons from the global crisis and prior crises Crisis response Part of crisis response strategies in many countries Automatic stabilizer Anti-cyclical benefit spending helps to protect people and stabilize aggregate consumption Comprehensive resilience strategy Effective institutional arrangements ensure quick response in all types of future crises Policy coherence Role of social security in a crisis context

Supporting structural change and national development: Lessons from national experiences Role of social security in supporting structural change and national development Long-term investment in people Promoting employability and productivity through investments in health, nutrition and education Supporting labour market adjustments through income security Protection of workers’ incomes Stabilization of aggregate demand Promoting formality Linkages with employment policies, e.g. employment services Promoting incentives to formalization Promoting positive change Creating the prerequisites for increased levels of productive employment Enables higher level of social security

Policy coherence of economic and social policies Increasing participation in formal, decent and productive employment Ensuring income security and promoting social cohesion and social justice Accelerating progress towards achieving Millennium Development Goals Investments in employability through better access to nutrition, health and education

Possible future policy orientation for the Organization and the Office Supporting national policy development Development of new generic guiding mechanism for the extension of social security coverage to all Development of a new strategy to ensure the adequacy of benefits and the effectiveness of social and economic stabilizers through the promotion of benefit levels set out in existing ILO standards Enhancing social security governance ensuring sustainability through sound economic, financial, actuarial and fiscal advisory services generating and disseminating knowledge and capacity building, including strengthening of social partners’ capacity to engage in the governance of social security systems

Suggested points for discussion What is the role of social security in promoting economic growth and social development? How can social security, interacting coherently with other policies, contribute to increasing participation in formal, decent and productive employment, ensuring income security, and accelerating the achievement of the MDGs? What role are social security measures playing in the economic crisis recovery in the context of the Global Jobs Pact?