Newsletter #22 – April 2019

The GCSPF launches a statement of its position on financing Social Protection on Thursday, 11 April, 2019, on the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the International Labour Organization (ILO).  Read more

The ILO established the right to social security and today recommends Social Protection Floors. That move is crucial, says Ebenezer Durojaye.
To celebrate 100 years of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the GCSPF launched a statement outlining the path towards universal social protection for all. We talked to Ebenezer Durojaye of the GCSPF about why social security remains one of the most important issues of our time, and about the ILO’s role in advancing the right to social security in the past and present. Read more

The side event was organised both to discuss emerging challenges on social protection as a tool for the reduction of inequalities and to look at both conceptual issues and practical solutions. The presenters explored the accountability dimension in designing and delivering social protection schemes; the links between social protection and human rights in reducing inequalities; and the role of civil society in social protection accountability monitoring. The side event was sponsored by the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors and coorganised by SOSTE, the Finnish Federation for Social Affairs and Health, The International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW), The International Association of the Schools of Social Work (IASSW), The African Platform for Social Protection (APSP), UNESCO-MOST, and The Center for Economic and Economic and Social Rights (CESR).
The focus on accountability was seen as a practical step towards strengthening the issue- based approaches of the Commission on Social Development, taking account of Agenda 2030’s emphasis on universality and human rights and mindful of its call to the global community to assess, monitor, evaluate, share and discuss progress towards the achievement of its goals and targets. Read more

Phenix Center for Economic and Informatics Studies issued a Report on the Labor Protests in Jordan 2018.
The continuing decline of labor protests over the years 2014-2018 can be attributed to a number of factors, most importantly the fact that the government and most employers were not serious in meeting worker demands. There was often direct and indirect pressure from senior management within business establishments or from the government and its various institutions. In addition, most wage workers in Jordan are still deprived of the right to form unions to defend their interests. This issue has two main causes. The first is labor legislation, which deprives broad segments of workers from the right to organize a union. Jordan’s regulations for professional categorization specify which professions are allowed to form unions, sets the number of trade unions at 17 and has not allowed any new labor unions to be established for more than four decades. Read more

Why do the levels of resources spent on social protection matter to gender equality? How does the social protection financing “mix” (e.g. type of tax, other revenue etc.) matter to women’s outcomes? What are the main challenges, opportunities and initiatives underway on financing gender-responsive social protection?
The webinar will also discuss revenue-expenditure links and the role of gender budgeting initiatives in gender-responsive social protection financing.
Date and time: 6 June - 1 PM GMT+1 Register here