Result achieved
Outcome summary
The National Social Protection Strategy was developed and finalized.
Outcome achieved
The National Social Protection Strategy was developed and finalized by the Ministry of Social Solidarity in coordination with the Ministry of Health and other ministries in consultation with social partners in December 2018. It has been submitted for approval to the Council of Ministers. The National Social Protection Strategy will be dedicated exclusively to the reinforcement of social protection programmes aimed at reducing poverty and social vulnerability by 2030.
The new social security system offer protection for old age, death, disability, maternity/paternity, to more than 70,000 workers registered and contributing so far, in the public and private sectors, while covering over 1,000 employers (As of August 2019).
The National Social Protection Strategy and the Assessment-Based National Dialogue Report were guided by Convention 102 on Social Security (Minimum Standards) and Recommendation 202 on Social Protection Floors. The provision of social protection contributes to the achievement of the SDGs, in particular SDG Target 1.3.
The Assessment-Based National Dialogue Report as well as the National Social Protection Strategy have been drafted taking gender equality into consideration. One of the priority activities of the new National Social Protection Strategy involves the assessment of the impact of benefits on the most vulnerable groups (including women) and assesses the adequacy of existing measures and opportunities to improve the social protection system efficiency.
Some of the policies analysed in the Assessment-Based National Dialogue Report and the National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS), in particular Goal 2.3 of the NSPS, concern the responses to natural disasters, which are directly connected to climate change and environmental concerns.
ILO's contribution to the outcome
The ILO with funding support from the Government of Portugal, supported the Ministry of Social Solidarity in the development of the National Social Protection Strategy, through an Assessment-Based National Dialogue (ABND) process. The ABDN Report was developed in consultation with more than 20 stakeholder institutions, including different ministries, development and the social partners. The process was carried under the leadership of the Ministry of Social Solidarity, in strict collaboration with the ILO and the UN country team. The document outlines reforms and the introduction of social protection measures, and provides cost projections for their implementation. The ABND report was published in May 2018, and it was fundamental in informing the development of the country’s National Social Protection Strategy.
The ILO collaboration on the preparation of the ABND report and NSPS was guided by Convention 102 on Social Security (Minimum Standards) and Recommendation 202 on Social Protection Floors.
Guided by ILO Convention 102 and Recommendation 202, ILO’s technical support included recommendations for the adoption of the National Strategy addressing gender inequality and discrimination.
The ILO, through extensive consultations throughout the drafting of the NSPS, incentivized and informed the discussion about climate change issues, and the necessity to further embed natural disaster relief procedures and institutions within the social protection system.
Gender equality & non-discrimination
Some of the policies analysed in the Assessment-Based National Dialogue Report and the National Social Protection Strategy target women directly. Furthermore, one of the Priority Activities of the new National Social Protection Strategy involves the assessment of the impact of benefits on the most vulnerable groups (including women) and assess the adequacy of existing measures and opportunities to improve the social protection system efficiency.