1. The role of social security in social and economic development
Recurrent discussion on the strategic objective of social protection (social security): Social security for social justice and a fair globalization
100th Session of the International Labour Conference, June 2011

2. Social security and its role in society and in promoting economic growth and social development
Social security as a human right
Defines minimum level of social security
Promotes social citizenship and social cohesion
Provides for a minimum level of redistribution of income
Social security as economic necessity
Facilitates productive employment and enhances productivity
Fosters transition to the formal economy
Strengthens economic resilience
Social security as social necessity
Reduces poverty and vulnerability
Fosters investments in human capital
Promotes social justice and social cohesion

3. Enhancing resilience: Lessons from the global crisis and prior crises
Crisis response
Part of crisis response strategies in many countries
Automatic stabilizer
Anti-cyclical benefit spending helps to protect people and stabilize aggregate consumption
Comprehensive resilience strategy
Effective institutional arrangements ensure quick response in all types of future crises
Policy coherence
Role of social security in a crisis context

4. Supporting structural change and national development: Lessons from national experiences
Role of social security in supporting structural change and national development
Long-term investment in people
Promoting employability and productivity through investments in health, nutrition and education
Supporting labour market adjustments through income security
Protection of workers’ incomes
Stabilization of aggregate demand
Promoting formality
Linkages with employment policies, e.g. employment services
Promoting incentives to formalization
Promoting positive change
Creating the prerequisites for increased levels of productive employment
Enables higher level of social security

5. Policy coherence of economic and social policies
Increasing participation in formal, decent and productive employment
Ensuring income security and promoting social cohesion and social justice
Accelerating progress towards achieving Millennium Development Goals
Investments in employability through better access to nutrition, health and education

6. Possible future policy orientation for the Organization and the Office
Supporting national policy development
Development of new generic guiding mechanism for the extension of social security coverage to all
Development of a new strategy to ensure the adequacy of benefits and the effectiveness of social and economic stabilizers through the promotion of benefit levels set out in existing ILO standards
Enhancing social security governance
ensuring sustainability through sound economic, financial, actuarial and fiscal advisory services
generating and disseminating knowledge and capacity building, including strengthening of social partners’ capacity to engage in the governance of social security systems

7. Suggested points for discussion
What is the role of social security in promoting economic growth and social development?
How can social security, interacting coherently with other policies, contribute to increasing participation in formal, decent and productive employment, ensuring income security, and accelerating the achievement of the MDGs?
What role are social security measures playing in the economic crisis recovery in the context of the Global Jobs Pact?