The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers 17 goals, the first of which is “no poverty”, namely: end poverty in all its forms everywhere. (click here for details)

Under this major goal, there are seven targets, the third of which is “Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.”

●  Current Situation

About the World

Development of World’s Social Security System Still Has a Long Way to Go

Challenges to sustainability and resilience manifest themselves differently for different population groups. Social protection systems can have a levelling effect. They help prevent and reduce poverty and inequality at every stage of people’s lives and make societies more inclusive and stable. Despite significant progress in many parts of the world in extending social protection, the human right to social security is not yet a reality for most people. Based on 2016 estimates, only 45 percent of the world’s population were effectively covered by at least one social protection cash benefit, leaving 4 billion people behind.

(Source: United Nations)

In 2016, only 22 percent of the unemployed received unemployment cash benefits, 28 percent of persons with severe disabilities collected disability cash benefits, 35 percent of children were covered by some form of social protection, and 41 percent of women giving birth received maternity cash benefits. Although 68 percent of people above retirement age received a pension, the benefits were often not enough to lift older people out of poverty. Major work lies ahead to ensure social protection for all who need it.

About China

China’s Social Security System Has Made Outstanding Achievements

At the end of 2016, the International Social Security Association awarded the “outstanding achievement award of social security” to the government of the People’s Republic of China, in recognition of the outstanding achievements made by the Chinese government in expanding the coverage of social security in recent years. According to Mr. Hans, secretary general of the International Social Security Association, the extent and speed of China’s social security expansion is incomparable in other countries. In China’s socio-economic and demographic conditions, such progress can only be achieved through significant improvement of the management capacity of social security institutions, modernization of management system (including promotion of social security cards), and promotion of management innovation such as the national insurance plan.

The white paper entitled “Development of China’s Public Health as an Essential Element of Human Rights” announced in 2017 that basic medical insurance had covered all urban and rural residents. The whole population is now covered by medical insurance, which is mainly composed of basic medical insurance for working urban residents, basic medical insurance for non-working urban residents, and the new type of rural cooperative medical care.

By the end of 2018, the number of Chinese people participating in insurance for basic endowment, unemployment, work injury, and maternity reached 943 million, 196 million, 239 million, and 204 million respectively, and the number of people covered by basic medical insurance exceeded 1.3 billion. This means that China has established the largest social security system in the world, covering the largest number of people.

(Source: People’s Daily)

Text source: www.un.org, ljxz.cbpt.cnki.net, www.clssn.com

●  Cases

About the World

Russian Federation Has Ratified the Social Security Convention

As part of its Centenary celebrations, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is running a ratification campaign to encourage its member states to ratify at least one international labor convention in the course of 2019. Among the 15 new ratifications so far, the Russian Federation has ratified the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102). The International Social Security Association (ISSA) congratulates the Russian Federation on its ratification!

(Source: ILO)

Text source:  www.issa.int

About China

Shenzhen’s “Smart Social Security” Construction Has Reached a New Level

As an experimental field of China’s reform and opening up, Shenzhen Special Economic Zone took the lead in establishing a new social insurance system characterized by socialization in 1982. After more than 30 years of development and improvement, a multi-level social insurance system with wide coverage, high overall-planning level and moderate security has been gradually formed, giving full play to social insurance’s livelihood security function as a social stabilizer, pressure reducer and shock absorber, and constantly improving people’s sense of gain, happiness and security. By the end of September 2019, 35.2698 million people had participated in insurance of endowment, work injury and unemployment in Shenzhen. Among them, 11.9429 million were covered by endowment insurance, 11.5619 million by unemployment insurance and 11.765 million by work injury insurance. In the past 27 years, the total amount of the three insurances increased by 57.47 times, with an average annual growth rate of 16.3%.

Overview of social insurance coverage in the third quarter of 2019 in Shenzhen. (Source:hrss.sz.gov.cn)

In recent years, the social security authorities of Shenzhen have devoted themselves to solving the problems of people’s livelihood, setting up the intelligent social security service mode of “Internet + management services”, and comprehensively deepening the reform of government services. The results of the management services reform, such as “city-wide service, close service, reservation service, mobile service, automatic service and face-scanning service”, have gradually come into effect, and the construction of intelligent social security has reached a new level, bringing convenience to the recipients.

The 24-hour service station of Shenzhen Guangming Social Security Branch. (Source: www.sz.gov.cn)

A staff member of Shenzhen Henggang Social Security Station guides citizens to use a self-service terminal. (Source: www.sz.gov.cn)

Improved Social Insurance System

In 2015, Shenzhen improved the credit rating mechanism of designated medical institutions and built a medical insurance system based on credibility. The city also implemented maternity insurance for employees and established a maternity allowance system. Regarding work-related injury insurance, Shenzhen raised the subsidy standards for in-hospital food, and transportation and accommodation outside the city. It also reduced the rate of work-related injury insurance and maternity insurance. Labor capacity appraisal  served 24,900 person times.

Optimized Social Security Management Mode

In 2015, Shenzhen’s social security registration was incorporated into the commercial registration platform, realizing “one-time review, mutual recognition of information, simultaneous issuance of certificates and licenses, and file sharing”. The pilot project of “city-wide service” for social security was executed. Online reservation was available for 32 businesses. The usages of the “one single security card” were expanded. China Post was entrusted to visit 50,000 retirees for free fingerprint verification. All these significantly improved the service level.

Supplementary Medical Insurance for Serious Diseases Implemented

On December 1, 2015, led by the Shenzhen Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, “Shenzhen Supplementary Medical Insurance for Serious Diseases” was successfully implemented. It was one of the year’s top 10 livelihood services offered by the Shenzhen Municipal Government. The significance of the successful implementation of this livelihood service means that Shenzhen has successfully constructed a three-level medical security system including basic medical insurance, local supplementary medical insurance and supplementary serious disease medical insurance, which would effectively alleviate the social problem of poverty caused by illness. Through government procurement, a commercial insurance company was able to undertake a policy-based medical insurance business for the first time, introducing commercial insurance resources and competition mechanism on the market to significantly reduce the insurance cost, effectively improve the service and security efficiency, and promote win-win results among the three parties. It has been a breakthrough in the mode for financing serious illness insurance, initiated multi-channel financing in China, further expanded the policy’s coverage, and activated the individual accounts of medical insurance to enlarge its security function. It has well practiced the concept of targeted poverty alleviation, and provided special security service for the vulnerable such as low-income insurance recipients, orphans, specially cared citizens and severely disabled residents.

Text source: www.sz.gov.cn

●  Background

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 

On January 1, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 169 targets, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.