The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has announced that its Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All has provided over 55 million people with access to vital benefits since 2021. This milestone was celebrated at the programme’s annual Development Partners meeting in Geneva, attended by 55 representatives from governments, workers’ and employers’ organisations, along with over 1,400 virtual participants.
The ILO revealed that the programme, launched in 2016, has played a crucial role in strengthening social protection systems worldwide. Its second phase (2021–2025) has already exceeded expectations, with 149 institutional changes—nearly double the initial target of 80—helping to expand coverage, improve adequacy, and ensure comprehensive benefits for workers and vulnerable populations. These changes include new laws, policy reforms, and the expansion of social security schemes that now protect millions.
Speaking at the event, ILO’s Assistant Director-General for Jobs and Social Protection, Mia Seppo, highlighted the programme’s impact while acknowledging the challenges ahead. She noted that for the first time, ILO’s World Social Protection Report, published in September 2024, showed that 52.4% of the global population is covered by at least one form of social protection. However, she stressed that 3.8 billion people remain unprotected, calling for greater efforts to achieve universal coverage.
One of the programme’s notable successes is in Côte d’Ivoire, where a government-led awareness campaign, supported by the ILO and the World Bank, led to one million independent workers enrolling in the national social security system. Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Employment and Social Protection, Adama Kamara, described this as proof of effective public policies and strong development partnerships in achieving universal social protection.
The programme directly supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1.3 and 3.8, which promote universal social protection and healthcare. Operating in 50 countries across 16 thematic areas, it tackles challenges such as informal employment, ageing populations, and climate change. With one year left in its current phase, it is on track to extend social protection to 60 million people.
Looking ahead, discussions in Geneva also focused on Phase III (2026–2030), which aims to further close the social protection gap before the 2030 SDG deadline. Luxembourg’s Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Marc Bichler, emphasized the broader significance of social protection, calling it an investment in stable, inclusive, and resilient societies. He noted that amid economic uncertainty, climate change, and geopolitical tensions, the programme is a crucial driver of social protection for those in need.
With global economic pressures mounting, the ILO and its development partners continue to push for stronger social protection frameworks that ensure economic security for millions, especially in regions where informal work dominates.
