The ILO works in close collaboration with Social Security Institutes in supporting the coordination of social security systems, and the effective implementation of existing bilateral and multilateral instruments/agreements. Social security schemes’ coordination and the provision of technical assistance to ILO constituents on the formulation and effective implementation of bilateral and multilateral social security agreements, as well as the promotion of social protection floors’ coverage is key to advance on REC’s free movement of persons and labour migration policies.

• Through its project “Extending social protection access and portability of benefits to migrant workers and their families in selected RECs in Africa”, the ILO is aiming extending social protection to migrant workers (including those in the informal sector), by strengthening Regional Economic Communities’ capacities (working mainly with EAC, ECOWAS, and SADC) to provide as well as to drive the implementation of regional frameworks on the extension of social protection to migrant workers and their families.
• A “how-to” guide on extending social protection to migrant workers was also drafted and modules piloted in various countries – including an EAC conference - and at the ITC-ILO Labour migration Academies in 2016 and 2017.