PROJECT OBJECTIVES

This project is the second phase of the ILO/Japan Project to Promote and Build Unemployment Insurance and Employment Services in ASEAN. The new phase will also be extended to Mongolia.

The project supports the shared need among the ASEAN and Mongolia’s governments and social partners for further exploring, designing and implementing strategies and schemes that will increase access to income security and employment for vulnerable workers and their families.

In ASEAN

In October 2013, ASEAN member States adopted a Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection as one of the key priority areas to achieve growth with equity and “people oriented integration” 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.

The ASEAN Member States are now drafting a Plan of Action for the implementation of the ASEAN Declaration. By organizing capacity building activities, exchange of experiences and tripartite seminars, the project provides technical support and a platform for involving the social partners in the implementation of the ASEAN Declaration.

Link to the first phase of the project in ASEAN (2011-2013)

Link to the second phase of the project in ASEAN (2014-2015)

Advocacy for social protection in ASEAN

In Mongolia

In Mongolia, with its sustained growth rates, the government has measured the critical importance of strengthening social policies and establishing at least a social protection floor (SPF) to close development disparities. Mongolia has already in place a well ramified social security system, providing social benefits and services at each period of the life. However, the administration and delivery of social security benefits and employment services across a very sparsely populated country is challenging, leaving more than 80 per cent of herders, self-employed and informal economy workers with insufficient income security.

The project aims to promote pro-active measures and reforms to achieve a nationally defined social protection floor in Mongolia. In particular the project

• Guides the government and social partners to define their national social protection floors, through the conduct of an assessment based national dialogue on social projection and employment support.
• Raises awareness on the importance of social security among policy makers, social partners and stakeholder, as well as the general public, in particular young people.
• Supports the government in its effort to improve decentralization and integration of social policies and the delivery of a nationally defined SPF.
• Develops and pilots measures to improve the employability and income security of vulnerable workers, in particular young herders in Uvurhangai and Bayankhongor aimags.
• Proposes measures to increase old-ade pension coverage among herders, and self-employed and informal economy workers, through training sessions, studies and national consultations.

Link to the project in Mongolia

PROJECT OUTCOMES

• Greater awareness and interest to develop social protection systems and increased understanding of the linkages between social security and employment support policies among ASEAN and Mongolia.
• Endorsement of the Assessment Based National Dialogue (ABND)’s recommendations on social protection and employment support by the government of Mongolia.
• Adoption of concrete recommendations for design of a national policy aimed at promoting employment, income security, and social protection for young people.
• Decision on concrete measures to extend old-age pension coverage to herders, self-employed and informal economy workers.
• Recommendations for the enhancement of decentralization and coordination mechanisms and for the integrated delivery of social protection and employment support services, using the existing one-stop shop network, at central and local levels.

Partners

Ministry of Labour (MoL), Ministry of Population Development and Social Protection (MPDSP), Mongolian Employers’ Federation (MONEF), Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions (CMTU), ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Trade Unions Council (ATUC) and ASEAN Confederation of Employers (ACE).

Donor

Ministry of Labour, Health and Welfare of Japan

Duration

2014-2016

Target beneficiaries

Policy makers, managers and technical staff in Mongolia and ASEAN member States involved in the policy formulation discussions. Youth and elderly from Mongolia’s herder families and informal economy, as well as un- and underemployed people in ASEAN countries.

Geographical focus

Mongolia and ASEAN countries