Result achieved
24.03.2017
KHM226
Public
Outcome summary
The National Social Protection Policy Framework (NSPPF) 2016-2025 was approved by the Council of Ministers of Cambodia on 24 March 2017.
Outcome achieved
The National Social Protection Policy Framework (NSPPF) 2016–2025 was endorsed by the Technical Working Group in December 2016 and approved by the Council of Ministers of Cambodia on 24 March 2017. The NSPPF was officially launched in July 2017. The policy framework is a ten-year strategic road map which foresees major legal, institutional and financial reforms to support a gradual expansion of coverage, in line with the country’s expanding economy and fiscal space.
Beginning with the enhanced governance of the system, the Government has established a National Social Protection Council to lead the reform. The Council is composed of members from key line ministries. Its main tasks include (a) coordinating policy formulation on social protection; (b) monitoring and evaluating the implementation of policy; and (c) ensuring synergy between contributory and non-contributory schemes.
In terms of operators, the intention is to merge the three existing social security funds into a National Social Insurance Fund managing all contributory schemes.
ILO's contribution to the outcome
In December 2016, the ILO completed an assessment of institutional capacity to operationalize the non-contributory social protection system envisioned in the NSPPF, conducted with the collaboration of UNICEF and funded through the European Union Social Protection Systems Programme (EU-SPS) [KHM/16/04/OEC].
In addition, in July 2016 the ILO produced technical notes on health insurance, pensions and social assistance, including costing. The notes were shared with the tripartite constituents and development partners as inputs to the NSPPF. To ensure the alignment to international labour standards, technical advisory meetings (including tripartite consultations) were organized to support the development of the Social Protection Policy Framework.
In 2016 the Government issued a formal request to support the extension of coverage to informal economy workers. The ILO used innovative solutions through the value-chain approach, with particular focus on the construction sector. The work was financed by the European Union and the Republic of Korea [RAS/15/51/ROK] [KHM/16/04/OEC], but synergies were also established with a Japan-funded occupational safety and health project [KHM/17/01/JPN]. The first phase of this project was completed in November 2017.
The second phase will expand this work to include tourism value chains and domestic workers, in the understanding that there is a wide variety of employment arrangements in the informal economy which vary according to industries and employment type (wage employees, the self-employed, casual workers, and household employees).
International Labour Standard
Both the ILO’s Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202) and the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102) were key references in relation to the national social protection system’s gaps and provided guidelines for the national dialogue, the actuarial valuations and the establishment of goals.
Social dialogue
The ILO promoted the participation of workers’ and employers’ organizations during the process, building their capacity to engage in meaningful social dialogue on key social protection issues.