BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 29. Universal social protection is a prerequisite for sustainable development, Director of the Social Protection Department at the International Labor Organization (ILO) Shahra Razavi said, Trend reports.
Razavi made the remark in a video message during an international conference on "Adaptation of Social Protection Systems in the Context of the Modern World Challenges" in Baku.
"Universal social protection plays a key role in eradicating poverty, promoting decent employment, and facilitating social inclusion. All of this is essential for a dynamic economy and a just society," she explained.
According to Razavi, the modern world is facing multiple crises and transitions: the climate crisis, technological transformations, rising inequality, and inflation. All of this exacerbates the life risks that social protection systems are designed to combat.
She noted that for the first time, more than half of the world's population — 52.4 percent — receives some form of social protection. This is a significant increase compared to 42.8 percent in 2015.
"However, it's alarming that 3.8 billion people are still deprived of any social protection. Mostly, these are women. They remain unprepared for risks such as illness, poverty, unemployment, as well as climate challenges," the ILO representative emphasized.
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