Ratification of Convention 102 (1952)

The Initiative 100 years of social security at the ILO will promote the Ratify and Apply initiative by supporting governments in ratification process for the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102) - ILO’s unanimously recognized flagship Convention in the area of social protection. It establishes the core principles at the basis of social security systems and policies as well as the minimum benchmarks guaranteeing adequate levels of protection.

In 2012, the Governing Body approved the ILO’s Social Security Plan of Action aiming at reaching a total of 60 ratifications for Convention No. 102 by 2019, the year of the ILO’s Centenary, thus ensuring that at least 30 per cent of the global population would live in countries where the requirements of the Convention No. 102 are accepted as minimum standards. Currently, only five more ratifications are needed to reach the target of 60. To reach this objective, the ILO has developed and will very soon launch a Ratification Toolkit aimed at assisting ratification initiatives, including by way of providing a quick assessment checklist facilitating benchmarking of national frameworks against the minimum requirements of Convention No. 102. In this context, the ILO HQ and GTT should stand ready to provide all legal and technical support needed by countries envisaging the ratification of Convention No. 102 so as to meet the target of 60 ratifications for the year of the ILO’s centenary.