In many ways the power of the social protection floor lies in its simplicity. The floor is based on the idea that everyone should enjoy at least basic income security sufficient to live, guaranteed through transfers in cash or in kind, such as pensions for the elderly and persons with disabilities, child benefits, income support benefits and/or employment guarantees and services for the unemployed and working poor. Together, in cash and in kind transfers should ensure that everyone has access to essential goods and services, including essential health services, primary education, housing, water and sanitation. This report, prepared under the guidance of Ms Michelle Bachelet and members of the Advisory Group, shows that the extension of social protection, drawing on social protection floors, can play a pivotal role in relieving people of poverty and deprivation. It can in addition help people adapt their skills to overcome the constraints that block their full participation in a changing economic and social environment, contributing to improved human capital development and stimulating greater productive activity. The report also shows how social protection has helped to stabilize aggregate demand in times of crisis and to increase resilience against economic shocks, contributing to accelerate recovery towards more inclusive and sustainable development paths.

This report has been compiled by the World Commission on the Social Dimensions of Globalization, an independent body established by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2002, and whose membership includes international politicians and government advisers from developed and developing countries, academics and representatives of business and multinational corporations, trade unions and civil society organisations. The report explores the social dimensions of globalisation and the need to build a fair and inclusive global economic system, and argues that the dominant perspective on globalisation must shift from a narrow focus on markets to encompass a broader recognition of the needs of people in the communities in which they live. Issues highlighted and recommendations made in the report include: better governance and accountability at both national and international levels to foster productive and equitable markets; empowerment of local communities, including gender equality; sustainable development based on the interdependent pillars of economic, social and environmental development; fairer rules for international trade, investment and finance; measures to overcome inequality and raise capacity to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); and a stronger multilateral framework based on an effective United Nations.

This report provides new evidence on social mobility in the context of increased inequalities of income and opportunities in OECD and selected emerging economies. It covers the aspects of both, social mobility between parents and children and of personal income mobility over the life course, ...

Social security represents an investment in a country's human infrastructure, which is no less important than its physical infrastructure. This book outlines basic concepts such as the social protection floor and the social security staircase, analyses the affordability of various approaches, and examines the results of practices around the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Its second part weighs the pros and cons of conditional cash transfers and, based on a wealth of statistics, argues that effective social transfer programmes not only alleviate poverty, but also improve labour market participation, productivity, nutrition, health care, education, consumption and social inclusion. The overall message is that such investment can benefit poorer countries as well as richer ones, and that even in times of tightened budgets and global economic crisis , the dividends are well worth the expenditure.