Heads of social security organizations from Europe and Eurasia have recognized the urgent need to strengthen the social protection of migrant workers in the region, and have committed to develop common principles for social security systems to cover this group, at an international meeting in Baku, Azerbaidjan, that concluded on 29 June.

The CEOs and directors representing some of the principal social security organizations in the region agreed to develop a framework document that would outline principles of social protection rights, and detail the administrative mechanisms for the administration of the transfer and payment of benefits for migrant labour between recipient and donor countries.

The agreement was made during a Technical Seminar on Social Protection of Migrant Labour and Globalization which followed the opening of a new  ISSA Focal Point for Eurasia, based in Baku.

The Chairman of the State Social Protection Fund (SSPF) of Azerbaidjan and seminar host Salim Muslumov said that the intensification of migration in the region had led to an increase in demands on social security, including, for example, requests for pension rights from citizens working in a neighbouring country.

The proposal to develop a common framework guidance document was proposed by seminar participants, who agreed to establish a working group jointly between the ISSA and the International Association of Pension and Social Funds (IAPSF). The working group will be chaired by Maria Borta, President of the National Office of Social Insurance of the Republic of Moldova. The working group will bring its proposals and conclusions to the ISSA members in the region within 12 months, which would then be presented to the responsible ministries and government offices.

 

Protection of vulnerable groups

ISSA Secretary General Hans-Horst Konkolewsky welcomed the proposal for the framework document. “A priority issue is the social protection of unregulated and illegal migrant labour, which is a particularly vulnerable group,” he stated.

“The framework document should be based on the principles and values included in the related international instruments and build on the work of other international organizations, notably the ILO, the UN and the Council of Europe,” he emphasized.

"This is a first and very promising step that clearly illustrates the value of the ISSA's new Focal Point as a platform for social security leaders to address and seek innovative solutions to key challenges in the region," Konkolewsky added.