Ippei Tsuruga is Social Protection Programme Manager at International Labour Organization (ILO). He has been extensively working on social insurance reforms and the extension of social protection to workers in the informal economy in Viet Nam and Indonesia, and at the ASEAN regional and global level. In February 2020, he moved to ILO Jakarta after his active roles at ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and Social Protection Department. Prior to joining ILO, he served as Representative of JICA USA, Deputy Assistant Chief of JICA Research Institute and JICA Country Economist for Kenya, Nigeria and Somalia. He played a key role in the development of country assistance strategies, and the management of country operations and joint research projects.