Extending social security and establishing at least a social protection floor (SPF) has become a priority in Mongolia. The Government, notably the Ministry of Population Development and Social Protection (MPDSP) and the Ministry of Labour (MOL), has requested the United Nations' support to obtain a comprehensive overview of the social protection situation in the country and help identify priority recommendations.

The ILO and UN agencies are proposing to conduct an assessment based national dialogue (ABND) on social protection (SP) and employment support services (ES). The SP-ES ABND in Mongolia will benefit greatly from similar exercises conducted in other Asian countries, in particular, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

The SP-ES ABND was launched on 5 September 2013 in Ulaanbataar by the Minister for Population Development and Social Protection and the UN Resident Coordinator.

STEP 1: Assessment matrix and consultations (Sept. - Nov. 2013)

The assessment matrix is developed with all stakeholders involved in social protection in Mongolia: ministries and government agencies, social partners, civil society, academia and development partners, through national and local consultations. It contains for each of the four guarantees of the SPF an inventory of existing social security, poverty alleviation, and active labour market programmes; identifies policy gaps and implementation issues; and provides recommendations for the design and implementation of further social protection provisions with the aim of guaranteeing at a minimum the SPF to all the population.

STEP 2: Costing of the priority recommendations (Dec. 2013-Sep. 2014)

The cost of the proposed social protection scenarios is then estimated and projected over a 10 year period using the ILO Rapid Assessment Protocol (RAP). This costing exercise can serve as a basis for discussions on available fiscal space, government budget reallocations, and the prioritization of different social protection policy options.

STEP 3: Endorsement of the report at high level (Sep. 2014 - May. 2015)

The final report is shared with government representatives, workers and employers as well as civil society organizations with a view to validate the recommendations and assumptions and prepare for the next steps (feasibility studies for the design of the new schemes, expansion of existing schemes, or establishment of coordination mechanisms).

The report will support the implementation of the second phase of the ILO/Japan Project “Promoting and building income security and employment services in Asia - focus on Mongolia and ASEAN” (2014-2016).

Country factsheet

Extending old-age pension and improving social protection and employability of youth in Mongolia (coming soon)