Strengthening social protection for ASEAN migrant workers through social security agreements
Looks at specific actions that ASEAN countries can take to strengthening the social protection of migrant workers within the region. Argues for the importance of agreements between countries to coordinate their social security systems in order to ensure that migrant workers and their families have access to the programs of the countries in which they are working.
Social Protection for Migrant Workers: National and International Policy Challenges:
In the current global context, many migrant workers, and in particular women and irregular workers, are not – or are very inadequately – covered by social security and other social protection programmes. Current human rights standards related to migrant workers and families have so far had little impact on this situation. Th is article fi rst examines various national approaches to extending social security to migrant workers in low-, middle- and high-income countries, such as through affi liation to the social security systems in countries of employment and countries of origin. It then attempts to assess the impact of regional and other international migration and social security agreements, particularly within the European Union. It also explores the potential impact of wider ratifi cation of ILO and UN Conventions on migrant workers, which would ensure basic social and labour protection, in particular for irregular migrant workers. Th e article concludes with some key policy challenges for the future, including for improved regional and global governance.
The General Agreement on Trade in Services (Gats): What's in it for Social Security?
This article explores the implications of the World Trade Organization's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) for social security. It examines what bearing the GATS has, or will have, on social security policy and administration and what the effects might be. These questions are explored through a review of legal, political and policy issues relating to the status of social security within the GATS and the consequences of applying the Agreement's provisions to social security. The discussion distinguishes between the supply of social security services on the one hand and access to and use of social security services on the other hand. It also distinguishes between substantive questions regarding the scope of the GATS and procedural issues regarding governments' scheduling practices. I argue that although the GATS does not yet have a direct material bearing on social security policy and provision, it may do so in the future. However, it is too early to ascertain what the nature or magnitude of the effects might be. More generally, the discussion highlights the difficulties of securing multilateral cooperation among countries with different levels of "development", strategic interests and priorities, and social security systems.