Introduction to GESS

GESS is a global knowledge sharing platform on the extension of social security and aims to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas, capture and document experiences, identify knowledge gaps, create new knowledge and promote innovation. To achieve this goal, GESS relies on the contributions of its users and the dialogue and exchange between them.

This platform, developed and run by the ILO Social Security Department, provides an international interdisciplinary knowledge sharing environment and technical assistance services for the extension of social security.

Why GESS?

Social security is a basic human right enshrined in many international legal documents like the 1944 ILO Declaration of Philadelphia or the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Beyond the normative argument of providing a life in dignity for all members of society, there is ample evidence of the beneficial socio-economic impacts of social security programmes.
Social security contributes to preventing social unrest, fosters economic growth, prevents and alleviates poverty and helps countries to achieve sustainable development models. And yet, extending social security coverage to the entire world population represents a considerable challenge.

In this context, GESS provides assistance, information and collaborative tools to all those working towards universal social security coverage.

Who is GESS for?

GESS works with all the actors involved in the extension of social security: policy makers, technical teams from ministries of employment, health, social protection or finance, social partners, donors, as well as technical cooperation experts, social security fund managers, mutual health organization staff, cooperatives, NGOs and other civil society organizations, trainers, researchers, etc.

How is GESS structured?

In order to facilitate easy access to relevant information and services for users coming from different backgrounds and searching for different pieces of information, the GESS content on social security is organized by different entry points:
Users can

• access information about policy areas like health or old age, policy instruments, tools/models for extending social security or statistics;
• find direct links to key services such as training;
• information organized according to country or regional activities. This section allows users to access first-hand information and experience direct contact with specialists in the regions and countries of their interest.

Each of these pages will not just summarize key information but also provide links to news, up-to-date resources like further reading, other internet sources, statistics, legislation, experts in that field and trainings offered.

How can you get involved?

The platform is designed to be as interactive and user-driven as possible. In addition to providing information, almost all the sections offer opportunities for users to get involved, e.g.

• by posting news and comments,
• suggesting further resources,
• engaging in online discussions,
• adding questions and answers,
• inserting terms or definitions into the glossary etc.

The GESS platform is also a way for professionals and experts to communicate directly about their work and get in touch with other specialists and people who work in their field via the online forum, or by creating their own workspaces. These can be used to collaborate with other users on a project be it technical cooperation, research, designing training sessions or training material, etc. The possibility of uploading their CV into the expert database also contributes to the creation of an online community on the extension of social security.

For more information, please contact us at: gess@ilo.org

You can also download the GESS leaflet.

Social Security Department
International Labour Office
4, route des Morillons
CH-1211 Geneva 22
Switzerland