Situation et prioritiés

Situation de la protection sociale

As of April 2026, the Pacific Islands have achieved higher-than-average effective coverage in the Asia and the Pacific region for all benefits except for old-age benefits and have a high level of expenditure on health and child benefits. However, the increase of climate change induced shocks and disasters on Pacific Island countries leaves them more vulnerable to socio-economic risks. Social protection can play a crucial role in protecting communities against these vulnerabilities and helping them adapt to and mitigate climate risks.

The ILO has been supporting this work in Pacific Island countries, most recently through a comprehensive survey of the existing social protection and legal system in different country contexts.

In Papua New Guinea, the ILO conducted a social protection diagnostic assessment (SPDA) in 2024 in collaboration with the Department of Labour and Industrial Relations and the Department of Community Development and Religion. The report demonstrates that while family- and community-based social support systems remain strong in rural areas of PNG, these systems are not sufficient on their own to mitigate existing social risks. Bolstering existing systems with formal mechanisms for social protection is essential for collective and social development.

Social protection provision for those in formal employment are limited to superannuation funds (cash accumulation schemes) and the workers’ injury compensation scheme (employer-liability insurance with third party carriers). No social insurance cash maternity or cash sickness benefits are available, while existing employer-liability benefits are meagre, even compared to those found in peer economies in the region.

PNG’s non-contributory social protection was found to be generally weak with provision limited to child and family benefits and social assistance primarily in the form of relief support under the National Disaster Management Act of 1984.