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ILO promotes Round Table on Social Protection in Angola
António Gonga
With funding from the European Union, the International Labour Organization (ILO) held on October 29, 2024, in Luanda, a Round Table on the paths to the universalization of social protection in Angola.
The activity brought together experts, government representatives, academics, journalists, opinion leaders, non-governmental organizations and development partners. The central objective of the meeting was to discuss the current state of social protection in the country and discuss strategies to achieve universal and more inclusive coverage, based on the presentation of the results of the most recent report published by the ILO - World Protection Report 2024-26: Universal Social Protection for Climate Action and a Just Transition.
The Round Table was held within the framework of the Project "Expansion of Social Protection to Support the Formalization of the Angolan Economy" (ESSAFE), implemented by the ILO in Angola, with funding from the European Union.
In the opening note of the Round Table, the ILO project manager in Angola, Denise Monteiro, highlighted the importance of discussion and social dialogue on the effectiveness and scope of the implementation of public policies, thus thanking the European Union for its partnership through the ESSAFE Angola project.
The event, based on the ILO's "World Social Protection Report 2024", brought to light data on global social protection coverage, indicating that, for the first time, more than half of the world's population (52.4%) has access to a social security benefit, while 3.8 billion people remain completely unprotected. In Angola, this reality is still below what is desirable. Coverage is still quite limited and the urgent need to promote actions to expand the reach and improve the quality of social protection services, aligning them with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the National Development Plan (PDN, in Portuguese) 2023-2027 is becoming increasingly evident.
During the meeting, representatives of public institutions and different civil society organizations discussed the difficulties and progress in the implementation of the social rights established in the Constitution of the Republic of Angola and in the Basic Law of Social Protection. In Angola, social protection is a constitutionally guaranteed right, especially in articles 77, 80, 82, 83 and 84, which benefit unemployed citizens, children, the elderly, young people and people in vulnerable situations. However, for the national social protection system to meet all needs, significant investments are still needed, especially for those living below the extreme poverty line.
The panel discussion was made up of the following entities: the administrator for Social Security of the National Institute of Social Security (INSS), Samuel Mulaza; the specialist in municipalization of social action at FAS – Institute for Local Development, Anavilde Kassessa; the Head of the Political, Press and Information Section of the Delegation of the European Union in Angola, Paulo Simões Barroso; the academic and member of the Observatory of the Informal Economy by the Lusíada University, Conceição da Silva; the coordinator of the Political and Social Observatory of Angola (OPSA), Sérgio Calundungo; and the Director of the Expansão Newspaper, João Armando. The moderation of the panel was conducted by journalist Esmeralda Chiyaka.
According to the representative of the INSS, Samuel Mulaza, his institution has experienced significant improvements in recent years, being able to better meet the needs of citizens in terms of social security and recognizes the efforts that need to be made to expand social security, through the inclusion of low-income workers, the improvement in personalized service and the monitoring of enrollees.
The FAS representative at the event, Anavilde Kassessa, said that the Kwenda program seeks to create policies to support the poorest families and those in vulnerable situations. After the end of the first, the government's initiative will move on to the second phase, which extends until 2029. For Anavilde Kassessa, her institution has faced difficulties in accessing the most distant locations, due to the lack of access roads and the scarcity of banking services in certain locations in the country.
Journalist João Armando highlighted the importance of public institutions communicating better with the public, making it simple, direct and easy to receive information to citizens. "Public institutions have to learn to speak to people in the language they understand," he said.
In the view of academic Conceição da Silva, the Government should include universities and study centers in the entire process of important decision-making, especially in the scope of research, formulation and monitoring of public policies.
The coordinator of OPSA, Sérgio Calundungo, mentioned the need for citizens to be prepared and inserted in the search for solutions to the problems they face. "Government policies are most effective when citizens are part of the solution," said the civil society member.
For Paulo Barroso, the European Union supports the Government of Angola in several initiatives with the aim of strengthening the definition of public policies. In the field of social protection, for example, it financially supported the APROSOC Project (2014-2023), which was the first social cash transfer project implemented in Angola, through the Valor Criança program, implemented by UNICEF. Currently, the European Union finances the ESSAFE Angola Project, implemented by the ILO, in order to contribute to the extension of social security and, in this way, contribute to the formalization of the informal economy.
The discussions also emphasized the importance of effective communication between institutions and society on the rights to social protection, aiming to raise awareness and promote active citizen participation, strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors, international organizations and civil society, in order to promote a collaborative approach that makes the social protection system in Angola more robust and inclusive.
The meeting, which was attended by representatives of various institutions and entities engaged in the construction of a fairer and more comprehensive social protection system in Angola, ended with a call for joint efforts between the institutions. Social protection, as a fundamental right and crucial tool for social justice, requires sustainable investments, political will, and strategic partnerships so that Angola can meet the commitments set out in the PDN 2023-2027 and contribute to a more equitable, just, and resilient society to global challenges.