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Rio+20 Agrees on the Importance of Social Protection Floors for Sustainable Development

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 20-22, 2012, gathering heads of state and government and high-level representatives to discuss how to build a green economy, achieve sustainable development and lift people out of poverty, as well as support for developing countries that would allow them to find a green path for development.

In the outcome of the Conference, the leaders agreed on, among other issues, the importance of supporting developing countries in their efforts to eradicate poverty, including the provision of social protection floors. They encouraged national and local initiatives aimed at providing social protection floors for all citizens and supported global dialogue on best practices for social protection programmes, taking into account the three dimensions of sustainable development and emphasizing ILO Recommendation 202 concerning national social protection floors, adopted during the International Labour Conference on June 14, 2012.

During the Rio+20 the International Labour Organization (ILO) organized a side-event on Decent Work and Social Protection Floors for Sustainable Development, highlighting examples from several countries around the world of coherent policies and effective programmes linking social protection, employment, and economic and environmental issues. The Director-General of the ILO, Juan Somavia, participated in this side-event, focusing on the role of social policies in the development of a greener economy.

Read the Conference outcomes "The future we want".

Read the ILO Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (no. 202).

Read the ILO Director-General speech during the side-event on the Rio+20.