ASEAN-ILO/Japan Project Promoting and Building Social Protection in ASEAN
ASEAN member states have recognized social protection as one of the key priority areas to achieve growth with equity and “integration with a human face” by 2015. At country level, a number of ASEAN governments have already started designing and reforming their social security systems and employment services, including measures to provide protection to those who have lost their jobs. However, coverage provided by social insurance schemes very often remains limited to formal employment; hence innovative measures to tackle the needs of vulnerable workers are still needed.
Committed to extend social security in the region, the ten ASEAN Leaders adopted a Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection on 9 October 2013 in Brunei Durassalam. In November 2015, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the ten Leaders adopted the ASEAN Regional Framework and Action Plan to implement the Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection.
ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection
Since 2011, the ILO/Japan Project to Promote and Build Social Protection has supported the shared need among the ASEAN’s governments and social partners for further exploring, designing and implementing strategies and schemes that will increase access to social protection and employment for all. More specifically, the project contributes to the implementation of the recently adopted ASEAN Declaration to Strengthen Social Protection. In addition, by facilitating South-South knowledge sharing and cooperation, the project offers a platform for generating knowledge and developing capacities.
The project is implemented in close collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Senior Labour Officials Meeting (SLOM), ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (SOMSWD), ASEAN Confederation of Employers, ASEAN Trade Unions Council, and employers and workers' organisations in ASEAN countries.
The phase I of hte project (2011-2013) focussed on promoting unemployment insurance and employment services in ASEAN, with a target country being Viet Nam.
The phase II (2014-2016) brought knolwedge and facilitated exchange of experiences and good practices for the effective implementaiton of the ASEAN Declaration on Social Protection, including capacity devleopment activities on issues such as extension of pension, unemployment protection, delivery of social benefits and services.
The phase III (2016-2018) aims at creating knowledge and enhancing expertise and capacities of the ASEAN member States to find innovative solutions to extend social security coverage. The project provides direct support to Viet Nam and Indonesia for improving its legal and policy framework, institutional capacity and administration system in view of increasing social insurance coverage. Lessons learnt, experiences and good practices from this two countries will be disseminated accross the ASEAN member States.
Areas of action
Phase III: Extending social security coverage in ASEAN (ESSA) - Fact sheet
ILO-ASEAN partnership on social protection - Factsheet
Building capacity of ASEAN social partners: Employers' organizations and Workers' organizations
Developing a monitoring framework for measuring progress in extending social protection floors in ASEAN
South-South exchange of experiences and expertise: study visit to Mongolia
Promoting unemployment insurance and employment services in ASEAN
Key resources
Videos
The unemployment insurance scheme in Viet Nam: an experience to be shared
The one stop shop: The Mongolian experience for delivering social protection and employment services
Viet Nam l In ASEAN l Events l Resources l Proejct fact sheet l ILO/ASEAN social protection Fact sheet