Summary

Without the introduction of effective measures to extend coverage, the proportion of the population excluded from all protection will increase considerably in the coming years. To meet this challenge, the ILO has developed a new strategy for improving and extending social security coverage. This consists in implementing three complementary forms of action: extension based on "classical" social security mechanism: social insurance, universal benefits and systems and social assistance programmes; the promotion of and support for the development of decentralized systems deriving from local initiatives, in particular micro-insurance; the design of linkages and bridges between decentralized systems and other forms of social protection and public initiatives.