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HOME > Advocacy

Interested in another step of the roadmap? National Social Security Strategies Design, Costing, and Financing Legislation Implementation Governance, Monitoring, and Evaluation

What is advocacy?

Advocacy aims at creating awareness on a subject through a key message that may be based on evidence, a statement, or formulate an action desired. At the national level advocacy may target the general public, the decision makers (relevant ministries, parliament, president), civil society organizations, employers and workers representatives, foundations, universities, service providers, etc. At the international level it may target donor agencies, UN organizations, international NGOS, global funds, etc.Advocacy activities are various and adapted to the target. They may include: education programmes, training, social marketing, conferences, networking, alliances and consortiums with other organizations, policy and technical advice to donors and implementing agencies, activism and lobbying, communication and information campaigns through the media, establishment and promotion of norms and standards, etc.

What is the key message for the extension of social security?

The ILO social security department advocates for the extension of social security to all because:

• There is a lack of social protection coverage worldwide
• Social security is a human right
• Social security has a positive impact on productivity and economic development
• Social Security can prevent and alleviate the impact of the economic crisis
• Social security promotes the ILO vision of a fair society based on the values and principles of solidarity, equity and social justice

When is advocacy useful?

Advocacy should be conducted at all stages of the process of extending social security. It is crucial not only at the beginning but throughout the whole process. Without ownership and the political will behind the process of extension, the implementation is likely to falter.Advocacy for the extension of social security should not be a one shot activity but a long term investment. Educating today the children in schools, sensitizing them to values of solidarity and redistribution, will facilitate in the coming years their acceptance of existing social protection systems.Implementing social security schemes at the national level requires the support and acceptance of the whole society; it is definitely a choice of society; it is therefore important to ensure the support of all and particularly those who will share a large part of the cost-burden.

Key elements to take into consideration for the advocacy process

• Is there any evidence?
• Is our objective feasible? Achievable?
• Do people care? Is it important? Do they have other priorities?
• Who is the target? The decision makers? The general public? Donor agencies? And which tools are more suitable for each of them?
• Is the message understandable? Clear?
• Are other stakeholders involved? Can they take over and disseminate the message?
• Is the advocacy process participatory?

Examples of tools for advocacy:

• Social Security Standards
• Social Security Legislation
• Statistics on Social Security (cost and coverage)
• Library resources: case studies, PPT presentations
• Research on Social Security

Target groups for advocacy:

At the national level: (At the national level, advocacy efforts should address two types of counterparts: Policy makers and technical officers or managers.)

• Government agencies / relevant ministries (e.g. Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social protection/Social Welfare, Ministry of Finance, National Department for Planning, Public Pension Funds, Public Health Insurance Funds etc.
• ILO Social partners
• NGOS, Civil society
• Private sector (e.g. insurance companies, private service providers)
• Citizens

At the international level

• Donors (Bilateral, Multilateral, e.g. Global Fund, Foundations)
• International agencies (UN, non-UN)
• International NGOs (e.g. helpage, Oxfam, Care, etc.)
• Private sector (e.g. insurance companies, private service providers, employers, multinational companies)

 » Policy forum on the extension of social security