How can Caribbean countries boost social and labour inclusion for a sustainable COVID-19 recovery? ILO, ECLAC, UN-Habitat and CCRIF-SPC host regional social protection workshop to explore options

There has never been a better time than now to advance comprehensive social investments in the Caribbean. Despite the drastic decline in employment and income caused by COVID-19, the region can recover stronger through policies that finance solutions to persistent social protection coverage gaps and inequalities in the world of work that widened during the crisis.

In their initial response to the pandemic, most Caribbean countries implemented non-contributory cash transfers to the unemployed in the formal and informal economy. However, longer-term social protection policy measures are needed beyond immediate income relief programmes to sustainably reduce inequalities and revitalize employment to achieve decent work, particularly for the most vulnerable such as women, youth and persons with disabilities.

A recent virtual workshop co-hosted by ILO Caribbean provided an interactive forum to discuss such measures for integrated, innovative and inclusive social protection frameworks that support an effective recovery and deliver on the UN Agenda 2030 promise to “leave no one behind”.

Titled “Workshop on Leaving No One Behind in the Caribbean: Building resilience through universal social protection”, the event was co-hosted with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility Segregated Portfolio Company (CCRIF SPC).

The two-day virtual meeting, held on 6 and 7 October 2020, brought approximately 50 delegates together to participate in moderated interview panels, case study discussions, and breakout sessions featuring interactive activities such as polls and question and answer (Q&A) conversations.

They represented a broad range of stakeholders such as high-level policy makers and social development specialists, social security institutions, civil society organizations, the private sector, trade union organizations and academia. Regional representatives and officials of the United Nations system also took part.

“We need to reform social protection systems to provide coverage to the uncovered, improve coordination of mechanisms, enhance governance, identify sustainable financing, and respond to shocks. We must strive to sustain policy interventions being made to preserve jobs and sustainable incomes,” said Dennis Zulu, Director of the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean, during his feature remarks.

Following the opening session, participants interacted with panellists over the two days on a range of topics such as emerging tools and strategies for leaving no one behind; planning for resilience in the Caribbean; and the Regional Agenda for Inclusive Social Development (RAISD) and its implementation in the Caribbean.

Ariel Pino, Social Protection and Occupational Safety and Health Specialist of the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean, was a featured panellist for a session and debate on social protection systems: institutional arrangements, financing, and experiences.

“ILO research has shown that, although the pandemic has increased the cost of achieving universal social protection in the short term, countries have financing tools to progressively implement social protection floors that underpin universal coverage throughout the lifecycle,” said Ariel Pino through his presentation.

During a discussion facilitated by Resel Melville, National Project Coordinator of the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean, participants shared their ideas for policies for advancing social and labour inclusion. They prioritized productive high quality employment; decent work opportunities for women, persons with disabilities and youth; formalization of work, as well as closing the digital divide by recognizing Internet access as a basic necessity.

“Indeed, if nothing else, the current pandemic has proven that we need to move from theoretical discussions to practical action in response to the need for integrated, coherent policies and coordinated interventions to ensure universal social protections as part of our frameworks for resilience,” said Resel Melville, affirming the participants’ contributions.

The ILO Office for the Caribbean is committed to continuously working with governments, employers’ organizations and workers’ organizations across the region to build a better post-COVID-19 world of work. Future activities include technical support for the implementation of sustainable unemployment insurance schemes in Saint Lucia and Dominica.