By Judith Ugwumadu | 4 June 2014

The United Nations’ labour agency has urged governments around the world to scale up investments in child and family benefits, pensions and public services after finding that the global economic crisis left more than 70% of the world population without proper social protection.

This lack of access to social protection constitutes a major obstacle to economic and social development, the International Labour Organisation argued in a report published yesterday.

‘While the need for social protection is widely recognised, the fundamental human right to social security remains unfulfilled for the large majority of the world’s population,’ the World social protection report 2014/15: building economic recovery, inclusive development and social justice report stated.

‘Only 27% of the global population enjoy access to comprehensive social security systems, whereas 73% are covered partially or not at all.’

It found that 122 governments would be reducing their public expenditure in gross domestic product terms in 2014, of which 82 are developing countries.

At the beginning of the 2008/09 economic crisis, at least 48 high- and middle-income countries put in place stimulus packages totalling $2.4 trillion that devoted roughly a quarter to social protection measures, the report said.

But from 2010 onwards, many governments reversed course and embarked prematurely on fiscal consolidation, despite the urgent need to continue supporting vulnerable population and stabilising consumption, it argued.

In the European Union, for example, public spending cuts had already contributed to an increase in poverty, affecting one quarter of the population, the ILO suggested. Meanwhile, some middle-income countries, such as China, are close to achieving universal pension coverage and have sharply increased minimum wages, and Brazil has accelerated the expansion of social protection coverage and minimum wages since 2009.

But about 39% of the world population still have no access to health services, in particular in some low-income countries where the proportion of people not covered by health services has reached 90%. Thailand and South Africa, however, have shown that universal health coverage in just a few years can be achieved, the ILO said.

 ‘The case for social protection is even more compelling in these times of economic uncertainty, low growth and increased inequality,’ said Sandra Polaski, deputy director general of the ILO.

Social protection was also an issue that the international community should include in the next generation of development goals, she added.

‘It is now a matter of political will to make it a reality. Modern society can afford to provide social protection,’ said Polaski.