The multi-stakeholder working group of the Assessment-Based National Dialogue (ABND) on social protection floors including government agencies and the social partners adopted in February 2016 a Resolution on the extension of social protection floors
Outcome achieved
The multi-stakeholder working group of the Assessment-Based National Dialogue (ABND) on social protection floors – including government agencies and the social partners – adopted in February 2016 a “Resolution on the extension of social protection floors”, which contains four priorities: (a) increasing the pension level; (b) increasing the monthly benefit for low-income families with children; (c) increasing the maternity benefit; and (d) improving the social services system.
Based on this resolution, the working group endorsed in May 2017 the report Social Protection Assessment-Based National Dialogue: Towards a Nationally Defined Social Protection Floor (SPF) in the Kyrgyzstan Republic. The report contains a mapping and assessment of existing social security and social protection policies and programmes; identification of coverage gaps and implementation issues; development of priority scenarios to fill the gaps; a rapid assessment exercise to estimate the costs for each scenario; and policy recommendations to extend social protection and establish a national social protection floor.
ILO's contribution to the outcome
The ILO, with RBSA funds [KGZ/14/01/RBS], organized a national dialogue process that led to national consensus among social partners and other key stakeholders, such as UN agencies, NGOs and line ministries. The ILO organized:
(a) The ABND launch in December 2014. About 50 participants attended the round-table;
(b) The first ABND in July 2015. In total 80 participants attended the technical meeting and high level round-table;
(c) A second ABND in February 2016 with a total of 120 participants attending the technical meeting and high-level round-table; and
(d) A third ABND technical meeting organized in May 2017 attended by40 participants.
The ILO drafted the report Social Protection Assessment-Based National Dialogue: Towards a Nationally Defined Social Protection Floor (SPF) in the Kyrgyzstan Republic, and finalized it on the basis of comments and suggestion provided by the ABND SPF working group.
The ILO has been providing technical guidance to the ABND working group which was set up in 2015 to facilitate its work. On May 21–23, in Cholpon-Ata, the ILO organized a three-day training workshop on international social security standards for members of the working group responsible for drafting Kyrgyzstan’s Social Protection Development Strategy for 2015–2017.
Gender equality & non-discrimination
Work in the ABND focused on gender equality and non-discrimination, considering especially the extension of social protection to excluded populations and the increase of maternity benefits.
The ILO adapted in 2015 the training package on maternity protection and social security based on the Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183) and other relevant international labour standards, to address discrimination patterns against women and men. The package allows social protection and gender experts to develop their capabilities to promote and defend women’s and men’s rights regarding maternity and paternity leave and benefits. This package was used to provide training to experts from Government, trade unions and employers’ organizations selected from all of the regions of Kyrgyzstan in 2015–2016.
International Labour Standard
Following the ABND process, the adoption of the Resolution on the extension of social protection floors is another step towards application of the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102), especially in achieving minimum standards concerning pensions, maternity benefits, and family and child benefits.
A main focus of the ILO’s support to constituents was providing capacity building using the ILO’s maternity and social security training package, based on Convention No. 183 and other relevant international labour standards.
Social dialogue
The ILO promoted a multi-stakeholders national dialogue and analysis of the situation of the social protection system in the country in relation to policy gaps and obstacles, especially those in vulnerable situations. The working group was constituted by the line ministries and Government funds and agencies, workers’ and employers’ organizations, UN agencies, international and national NGOs, experts and researchers and many others stakeholders. Lead roles in the national dialogue were played by the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, the National Confederation of Employers and the Federation of Trade Unions, who significantly contributed to identification of the national priorities on the social protection floors extension.