Social protection

Social security

Social security coverage is generally poor in this sector, given the short-term or precarious nature of much employment, and the prevalence of freelance, self-employed, informal and other arrangements. More detail on this is provided in Chapter 5 of the ILO’s 2004 Report, Chapter 4 of the Background Document from the ILO’s 2000 sectoral meeting and Chapter 2 (Employment Status, contractual arrangements and social protection) of the 2000 Final Report, as well as in the FIM (2001) (also available in French) and IFJ (2000 and 2006) working papers (see Publications pages) UNESCO, in cooperation with many other organizations, including the ILO, has developed the World Observatory on the Social Status of the Artist web portal as a follow-up to the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist (1980). The Observatory provides an overview of artists’ rights and conditions worldwide, updated in close collaboration with member States and organizations working in the field of the arts and creativity. The aim is to provide the broadest possible compilation of online information about the status of the artist in contemporary societies, notably about social security, employment and working conditions, trade union rights, tax status, retirement regimes, the international mobility of artists and sources of documentation available in this field.

Useful Links/Resources

• World Observatory on the Social Status of the Artist