Flagship Programme

ILO’s Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All launches its second phase, extending support to 50 focus countries and aiming to improve the lives of 60 million people

The ILO’s Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All (SPF Flagship Programme) officially launched its second phase (2021 -2025) at its annual Development Partners meeting on 7 October 2021, announcing an extension of support to 50 focus countries and territories in advancing towards universal social protection.

Noticia | 7 de octubre de 2021
The COVID-19 crisis highlighted how crucial national social protection systems are to protect people from both routine life-cycle risks and systemic crises and shocks. To a virtual audience of top government officials, business representatives, trade unionists, and others, the ILO set out its ambition to contribute to the development of sustainable and resilient social protection systems and extend and improve social protection coverage, access, and adequacy levels to 60 million people over the next 4 years.

The COVID pandemic has changed the international debate on social protection. In this major health crisis, everybody understands the value of universal health coverage."

Meryame Kitir, Minister for Development Cooperation and Major Cities Policy, Belgium
The Programme will complement its support to the 50 focus countries with on-demand “cross-country” policy advice in 16 thematic areas. Identified based on priorities and needs of ILO constituents, the thematic areas will enable the development of knowledge and good practices through applied research and South-south exchange.

Through its global technical team of more than 180 staff based in 50 countries and territories, the support from the Global Business Network for Social Protection Floors and the Social Protection, Freedom and Justice for Workers Network, as well as partnerships with the UN family, development partners and the social protection community, the Programme allows the ILO to multiply its impact. The systematic measurement of results and impact through a dedicated tool provides evidence of ILO’s contribution to the SDGs in the area of social protection. Learn more about the strategy here.

The first phase saw the SPF Flagship Programme help achieve 39 institutional changes across 21 focus countries and territories: these changes include the adoption of strategies; the design and adoption of policies and programmes embedded in law; and the implementation or improvements in the governance and operations of social protection systems. As a result, over 11 million people gained legal coverage, and more than 13.5 million people saw improved effective coverage, access, and adequacy levels.

In Cambodia, the ILO supported the National Social Security Fund to implement its health and maternity scheme covering 2.5 million workers. Furthermore, the Social Security Law was revised, and a new pension scheme was designed and its sub-decree adopted.

Learn more about the results from the SPF Flagship programme’s first phase in its
Five-year report.

Launched in 2016, the SPF Flagship Programme is the ILO’s first attempt to develop a comprehensive and coherent global programme on social protection. Based on inclusive tripartite social dialogue and the application of international social security standards, the Flagship Programme supports Member States in building national social protection systems that are sustainable and adapted to new and emerging challenges, are universal and leave no one behind, are comprehensive across the life cycle and are coherent with other policies.

In giving effect to the conclusions of the International Labour Conference’s 109th Session in June 2021, the UN Secretary-General’s “Our Common Agenda” and the proposed Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection, the second phase of the Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All will support Member States in achieving universal social protection, emerge from the crisis and build a more just, inclusive and sustainable future, in which social protection is a reality for all.

The challenges for making social protection a reality for all are huge and it is only through a strong partnership that we can tackle them."

Martha E. Newton, Deputy Director-General for Policy, ILO
The valuable support of development partners has made the Flagship programme a success. The budget of the second phase stands at US$ 160 million, and has a current funding gap of $US 75 million. Potential partners can join the ILO today to help meet our goals and change the lives of millions of people.