Everyone has the right to social protection

“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.” Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 25(1).

The faces of social protection

Social protection ensures access to health care and income security for all. It provides for you and your family when you’re sick, unemployed, injured, pregnant or too old to work. It provides support for your family in case something happens to you. Social protection gives you peace of mind and hope for a better future.

Your social protection

Social protection is a set of policies and programmes designed to reduce and prevent poverty and vulnerability during our lives. Social protection ensures you have access to...

• Child and family benefits
• Maternity protection
• Unemployment benefits
• Employment injury benefits
• Sickness benefits
• Health protection
• Old-age pensions
• Disability pensions

The end of poverty

According to ILO statistics, today, 4 billion people worldwide lack social protection. Only 29% of the world’s population has adequate social security coverage and 55% lacks any coverage at all.

Time for action: Universal social protection

It is possible to extend social protection to the 4 billion people worldwide who still lack it. The ILO works hard to support countries in their efforts to create or improve their national social protection systems. ILO standards and expertise are crucial in guiding countries in the development of their own national social protection schemes.

The road ahead

Countries have made laudable progress but billions of people around the world still do not benefit from adequate social protection. Lack of social protection leaves people vulnerable to poverty, inequality and social exclusion across the life cycle. The solution is universal social protection.