Achieving SDGs and ending poverty through Universal Social Protection

The implementation partners (UN DESA and ILO) will build on the methodology of the ILO's Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All (2016-30) at the country level, combined with a global component to focus on the development of practical knowledge base.

AT a glance

Partners
Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and HRD, Ministry of Planning, Development & Reforms; Poverty Alleviation Division, Provincial Planning & Development and Labour Departments; Employers' and Workers' Organizations; Academia; civil society organizations

Implementing agencies
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)
International Labour Organization (ILO)

Geographical focus
Cambodia, Pakistan and Global

Project objectives

The main objective of the project is three folds:
  • Strengthen the capacity of the government in Cambodia and Pakistan to formulate, implement, monitor and evaluate national social security schemes.
  • Awareness-raising at the global level as well as for the sharing of knowledge and the development of practical guidance for the governance of social security systems.
  • Bridge the gap in developing a comprehensive overview of the best practices, tools and communication mechanisms for the good governance in the social protection systems and floors.
Among countries from the global South that have implemented universal social protection, China has made significant headway especially in the areas of health protection, old age pensions and social assistance. Thus, the Chinese experience in extending social security to all, including through improved coordination between central and provincial levels, one stop shops for social protection that bring services close to the people, improved management information systems, and using inspection systems to increase compliance, is very relevant for both Cambodia and Pakistan. It is therefore expected that part of the international expert team that will provide technical assistance to the project will come from China. This will further promote South-South cooperation in support of the implementation of the SDGs.

Main activities

  • Assist the country to develop a coordination mechanism for social security schemes at the national level and in one province.
  • Support the Government of Pakistan in the design of at least one universal social protection scheme, based on a variety of good practices.
  • Organize regional study tour of main stakeholders to two Asian countries, including China, to learn how different social security schemes are effectively coordinated.
  • Support Pakistan to create a nation-wide social security database with information initially collected from the existing social security schemes and the consolidated results accessible by all schemes.
  • Organize capacity building on data collection and compilation as well as on reporting on SDG 1.3, enforcement of compliance, and on coordination.
  • Assist the Government to enforce the level of compliance of enterprises with social security legislations in support of the development of a coordination mechanism, unified social security database and a higher-level of compliance.
  • Conduct awareness raising and education campaigns on social protection rights and obligations targeting workers and employers' organizations and their members.

Project outcomes

  • Enhanced capacity of the national entities responsible for social protection in Pakistan to coordinate the existing social security and protection schemes.
  • Enhanced capacity of stakeholders to monitor and evaluate the impact of social protection schemes through use of data and analysis.
  • Enhanced regional and global cooperation and sharing of good practices on social protection.
  • Enhanced capacities of social partners to enable them to participate in national dialogue on social protection.