10 years after the adoption of the International Labour Organization's Recommendation 204 on the transition from the informal to the formal economy, there are still more than 2 billion workers in the world in an informal situation, representing 58% of the global workforce. As a result, informality is an obstacle to social justice and the reduction of inequalities. This publication presents a panorama of initiatives aimed at accelerating the formalization of the economy in the countries highlighted: Belgium, Benin, Burundi, Dominican Republic, India, Indonesia, Peru, Poland and Senegal. More often than not, informality is not a choice. Quite the contrary, in fact! State initiative is often lacking. As a result, it's trade unions, mutualist organizations, cooperatives, players in the social economy and other social movements, and their respective networks, that get the ball rolling. Through their creativity and perseverance, they generate concrete progress in terms of access to quality employment, stable incomes, safer and healthier workplaces and adequate social protection. This is how we transform the informal economy.
Read morePOLICY BRIEF | WSM’s work over the past 50 years demonstrates the critical role that trade unions and other civil society actors can play in advocating for a transformative development model that recognizes the right to universal social protection and decent work as key drivers of resilience, social justice and sustainable development.
Read morePOLICY BRIEF | This policy brief presents key insights on strengthening social protection governance through civil societyi participation. It summarizes a larger study on the role of civil society in social protection governance1 to inform policy makers, civil society actors, and other actors of Belgium’s international cooperation working on social protection. The brief first discusses how civil society participation can strengthen different dimensions of social protection governance, in different stages of the policy cycle. It then turns to key strategies, opportunities, and challenges for enabling and promoting the contributory roles of civil society towards stronger social protection governance. Both this brief and the larger study depart from the premise that the structural and meaningful participation of civil society in a so-called tripolar governance model can contribute to inclusive, democratic, and effective governance for sustainable development; social protection is a key aspect of sustainable development and therefore a key policy area for exploring the potential value of a tripolar governance model.
Read morePOLICY PAPER | This policy paper collects key insights from recent literature on the role of civil society in social protection governance. The objective is to support civil society’s contribution to the development of more effective, inclusive, and sustainable social protection systems. It takes as a starting point Huyse’s (2021) tripolar governance framework, which proposes a structural inclusion of civil society, the state, and the private sector in governance processes. We apply this framework to social protection governance to examine how civil society participation can contribute to addressing five critical governance gaps. We also discuss the different specific roles that civil society organizations (CSOs) can play in all stages of the social protection policy cycle. We then examine how to foster a structural inclusion of civil society towards stronger social protection governance. We discuss key determinants of the space for civil society to structurally participate in governance processes, as well as strategies that can increase this space or the ability of CSOs to use it effectively.(...)
Read moreThe representatives of several organizations and international institutions met in a webinar on February 23, 2023, to share goals and with the objective of chieving global social justice for all citizens of the world. Indeed, WSM, INSP!R, WIEGO, RIPESS Intercontinental and IYCW, together with the ILO, members of Civil Society organizations and more than 150 participants from all over the world discussed the ins and outs of the Social and Solidarity Economy — SSE —, which was the subject of a Resolution adopted at the 110th International Labor Conference — ILC — on Decent Work and the Social and Solidarity Economy.
Read moreSummary of the world social protection report 2020-2022
Read moreA vision and strategy paper of INSP!R on the right to social protection
Read morePosition of INSP!R (International Network for Social Protection Rights) on Global Fund for Social Protection: Scope, Management and Financing
Read moreOn the eve of 8 March, International Women's Rights Day, WSM is publishing a handbook to share reflections and good practices on gender equality on four continents, in four languages (FR, NL, EN, ES). Mixing theory and practices, it aims to encourage organizations to make a concrete commitment towards greater gender equality.
Read moreOur planet is in danger, and if we do not drastically change our actions, the consequences could be devastating for all humans, including future generations. It is therefore necessary to put forward a new narrative, one that values solidarity between peoples and is the precursor to mobilising actions. We must abandon the culture of competition that pursues profit at all costs and replace it with the pursuit of the well-being of all, in harmony with nature.
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