Social Protection

Building social protection floors
and comprehensive social security systems

Result achieved

A new or revised policy or strategy to extend coverage, enhance comprehensiveness and/or increase adequacy of benefits has been adopted (Step 1)

Number of countries that have adopted new or revised policies and strategies to extend coverage, enhance comprehensiveness and/or increase adequacy of benefits (Step 1)

Linked projects

Outcome summary

The Social Assistance Department (SAD) of MOLISA finalized the Action Plan for implementation of the Master Plan of Social Assistance Reform

Outcome achieved

The Social Assistance Department (SAD) of MOLISA finalized the Action Plan for implementation of the Master Plan of Social Assistance Reform (MPSAR). The Action Plan emphasizes the importance of strengthening governance and coordination of the existing social assistance and social insurance systems. With the new Action Plan on MPSAR, the Government commited universal approach to provide family/child benefit which is the last contigency guided by the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention (No. 102) not yet introduced in Viet Nam. The intention to reduce the age eligibility for social pension will also contribute to promote the implementation of ILO’s R202 on Social Protection Floors Recommendation 202 and the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention (No. 102). With MPSIR and MPSAR, those most left behind will be covered through combination of tax-financed social protection benefits and the extrension of SI to informal workers. The Government and the ILO jointly developed one technical note aiming to identify the poverty, vulnerability and natural disaster context and the rationale for and global experience around risk-informed and shock responsive social protection. The technical note provided an overview of the current social assistance and disaster risk management systems and the challenges and opportunities to further linking of these systems.

ILO's contribution to the outcome

The ILO, with support of the Government of Ireland, focused on the integration of contributory and non-contributory schemes as the key to move to a coherent multi-tiered social protection system. The ILO broadened its technical support to include tax-financed benefits for the most vulnerable population. The ILO also contributed to build the capacity of government by a Training of Trainers workshop for around 100 staff in administration of the social protection system in 4-8 May 2018. The ILO provided technical support through meetings and discussions throughout the biennium, highlighting the core elements of the ILSs to the Government’s drafting committees. Besides, the ILO supported the MOLISA in the assessment of the gaps between the draft legal documents and the ILSs, and proposed the revision of the legal documents to ensure alignment with the ILSs. The ILO supported the Government to conduct nation-wide tripartite consultations on the Government Programmes of Action, Master Plan on Social Insurance Short-terms Benefit Packages and Master Plan on Reforming Social Insurance Policies Communication. The ILO, with the support of the ILO/Irish Aid project, and in partnership with FAO, supported MOLISA to conduct a review study and consultations on the issues of disaster-informed and shock-responsive social protection system that allows proactive approaches and builds long-term resilience against disasters/shocks. Recommendations drawwn were provided to MOLISA for strengthening Viet Nam’s social assistance system to better support households before, during and after natural disasters. On 16 May 2018, the ILO in collaboration with MOLISA organized a workshop to disseminate the report.

Gender equality & non-discrimination

The technical notes on rationale for increasing retirement age (May 2018) submitted to MOLISA included a proposal for equalizing the retirement age between men and women. Such measure will have a significant gender impacts, which will ensure the rights of working and the rights to social adequacy of millions of Vietnamese women. The National Master Plan on Social Insurance Reform (MPSIR) endorsed by the Government in May 2018 aims at a high quality and comprehensive national social insurance system that offers income security to all citizens across the lifecycle, protects the workers in both formal and informal sectors. The Technical note on Multi-Tiered Child Benefits submitted to the Government as the inputs for developing Social Insurance Short-terms Benefit packages proposes to introduce a child/family benefit to cover 100% children in Viet Nam from 0-15. If the proposal is endorsed by the Government of Viet Nam, it will help to improve gender equality in Viet Nam. In particular, it will offers public transfers or services to families alleviating the private burden of care—disproportionately borne by women around the world— which can enable women to remain in or re-join the workforce. The ILO also supports MOLISA to submit a proposal to the Government of Viet Nam to introduce a multi-tiered maternity benefit that ensures the right to income protection during maternity for all. If this is endorsed it is expected to increase the coverage of maternity benefits from 30% at the moment to 100% of the pregnancy female population. The ILO is supporting VGCL to improve their staff’s knowledge and skills for communication work on health insurance system and maternity protection for female factory workers.
2019 VNM151 Social dialogue