Context

In the last two decades, the world has undergone profound economic, social and political changes. Globalization has brought new growth opportunities through the expansion of global markets, but it is widely recognised nowadays that this process alone will not suffice to offer decent work for all. In many countries, the level of under-employment and unemployment is extremely high. To the extent that new jobs have been created, they are mostly to be found in the informal economy and the majority of them are of poor quality. In many parts of the world, moreover, employment in the formal sector is characterized by increasing “precariousness”. Efforts towards guaranteeing basic social protection have often been inadequate. At the same time, competitive pressures brought about by global markets are sometimes used as a justification to restrict trade union activity and social dialogue.

Poverty and social exclusion progressed, resulting not only in the denial of universal human rights, but also, for many individuals, a limitation of the capacity for personal development in freedom. From a collective point of view, the outcome is likely to be both harmful to social peace and, ultimately, to economic progress itself.

In this context, the challenge of combating social exclusion has been addressed through a diverse range of new strategies and instruments of social protection which have been developed at not only local but also national and international levels. Going beyond the obvious needs for protection of the vulnerable against the financial impact of social risks and redistribution of resources to them, these strategies and instruments aim to reduce the level of individuals’ dependency on social protection and to contribute to their personal development and human dignity. This can be achieved by helping to overcome other dimensions of social exclusion, such as the lack of access to education, to the labour market, inadequate income-generating activities and the lack of representation of the most vulnerable groups.

These urgent issues will be addressed by the forthcoming World Conference. The Conference is expected to underline the convergence of objectives and efforts of local, national and international actors, and to reiterate the role of social protection as an instrument of social inclusion, contributing fundamentally to the global objective of “Decent Work for all”.

Objectives

The primary objective of the World Conference is to review the worldwide application of the instruments and strategies of social protection towards the promotion of social inclusion, viewed in the broadest terms, to establish and document the current “state of the art”, and to draw lessons for the future.

Themes covered

The central theme of the Conference – the convergence between social protection and social inclusion – will be presented and discussed by a number of eminent speakers, known worldwide for their contribution to the fight against social exclusion and poverty. These presentations will be followed by three panel sessions focussing on the following themes:

• Modernizing social assistance to promote social inclusion.
  
• Integrating economic and social approaches to combat social exclusion at the local level.
  
• Promoting the access of vulnerable groups to social services covering basic needs.
  
  

The participants will present innovative approaches developed in various parts of the world. The first panel will highlight the mechanisms of social assistance that promote social inclusion, in particular, the newly-developed programmes of conditional cash transfers, the ongoing changes in relation to minimum income guarantee schemes and social pensions. Panel 2 is expected to discuss the benefits of the integration of social and economic strategies, which will be illustrated by means of initiatives that combine, at the local level, employment creation, income generating activities and the extension of social protection. The third panel will concentrate on case studies on the exclusion from access to social services and on innovative responses that improve the access of vulnerable people to these services. Amongst these, particular attention will be given to the performance and impact of the systems which seek to maximise the representation and participation of workers, and in particular those in the informal economy.

Target audience

The Conference is designed for:

• those responsible for the design and implementation of policies, strategies and instruments of social protection and social inclusion;
  
• members of the research community; and
  
• journalists and representatives of the worldwide media...

Practical arrangements

The Conference will take place in Lisbon, on 2 and 3 October 2006. The Conference languages will be Portuguese, English and French; simultaneous interpretation facilities will be provided.