The World Conference “Social Protection and Inclusion: Converging efforts from a global perspective” was convened by the International Labour Office, the Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity of Portugal, and the European Commission.

This Conference was held within the framework of the common objective of promoting "Decent Work for All", established between the three organizing bodies. The event was organized within the scope of the Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Portuguese Republic and the International Labour Organization (ILO) for the implementation of the project “ Fight against Social Exclusion" (STEP/Portugal 2).

Global efforts towards a fair globalization and the fight against social exclusion in the world rely, to a great extent, on strengthening the synergies between social protection, human development and employment creation policies.

How can such synergies be implemented in practice? How can we promote the convergence of systems of social protection towards the wider goals of the fight against social exclusion? How can social protection go beyond protecting against social risks, to promote access to the labour market, to basic social services and support the representation of the most excluded groups?

The Conference presented a diverse range of innovative experiences from different regions in the world that demonstrate substantial progress in this area. These presentations are now available on line. See the Conclusion of the Synthesis reports by Michael Cichon, Director of the Social Security Department of the ILO. (Windows Media Video)