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 Solomon Islands, the government has committed, through its ratification of several United Nations conventions, to pursuing the realization of the right to social protection for its people.

However, the framework for social protection remains largely limited to employer-liability benefits for workers in formal employment. The main notable exception is the Child and Family Welfare Act of 2017 which provides a rather limited legal basis for public support for families who are unable to meet their children’s basic needs. This legislation led to the establishment of a social welfare assistance scheme managed by the Department of Social Welfare and Gender Based Violence at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, although this has since been defunded in recent years. Meanwhile, the existing employment-related benefits (such as maternity benefits, employment injury) tend to be poorly aligned with international labour standards and bests practices, and significant compliance challenges persist. No comprehensive social protection policy yet exists to guide the development of the social protection system in Solomon Islands.

Espaces de travail

• Extension of Social Protection in Vanuatu
  02.03.2015