The Social Outlook for Asia and the Pacific lays out new arguments and evidence for the critical and urgent need to increase investment in people, particularly in social protection.

ILO (2018) This policy paper: (i) provides a global overview of the organization of pension systems
and their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG); (ii) monitors SDG
indicator 1.3.1 for older persons, analyses trends and recent policies in 192 countries,
including the extension of legal and effective coverage in a large number of low- and middleincome
countries, through a mix of contributory and non-contributory schemes; (iii) looks
at persisting inequalities in access to income security in old-age; (iv) presents lessons from

IMF Finance & Development Magazine - December 2018- New systems that do not rely on standard employment contracts are needed

ANSA (03.12.2018) Italy is the OECD country that spends the most on survivor pensions in relation to its gross domestic product, according to a new report released by the Paris-based organization on Monday. It said that spending on pensions that pass on to a partner after a person's death amounted to 2.5% of GDP in 2017, compared to an OECD average of 1%.

Nikkei Asian Review (01.12.2018)  Deal will relieve Japanese employees from double-paying pension contributions. The plenary session of Japan's upper house unanimously on Friday morning approved a bilateral social welfare agreement with China that will eliminate the requirement for their nationals to pay contributions into both countries' systems when they reside in each other's territory.

irishtimes.com (30.08.2018) Child and Family Agency launches €10m childcare database to replace 17 separate systems across the State

allAfrica (01.12.2018) The first ever Draft Policy on Social Protection that is expected to create a comprehensive social protection system, which is efficient and effective in addressing risks and vulnerabilities that people face at different stages of their lives, is ready for public input

VnExpress International (04.12.2018) Its rapidly aging population is imposing a big burden on Vietnam’s healthcare system.  According to the World Bank’s 2016 report titled "Live Long and Prosper: Aging in East Asia and Pacific" the ratio of the elder people in Vietnam is 11 percent and will account for a fifth of the population in the next 10 years.

Times of India (12.11.2018) While the CPM has been vociferously expressing concerns on surveillance and privacy regarding the use of biometric-based identity, the state government’s proposed verification process of welfare pension beneficiaries will be based on biometric authentication.

 Channel5Belize.com (03.12.2018) A five-day conference kicked off today in Belize City. Policy makers are attempting to strengthen what is in place to eliminate poverty among the various pockets of the vulnerable populations. Issues of healthcare, income security for children, the elderly or the disabled are also on the table. On the first day, social protection registries and an improvement on deliverables were the focus. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.

BreakingNews.ie (03.12.2018)  80,000 people in Ireland are living in poverty, according to the latest report from Social Justice Ireland. This figure includes 250,000 children as detailed in the think-tank's National Social Monitor for winter 2018.

OECD (03.12.2018) Improvements in the design of pension systems over the last decade in OECD countries have made them more financially sustainable and governments should now focus on ensuring they provide people with an adequate retirement income, according to a new OECD report. The OECD Pensions Outlook 2018 says that governments face challenges includng population ageing, low returns on retirement savings, low growth, less stable employment careers and insufficient pension coverage among some groups of workers.

The BMJ (30.11.2018) Universal health coverage means that every person everywhere should have affordable access to good quality essential health services. The governments of South Asian countries have embraced the goal of universal health coverage, which is the centrepiece of commitments to deliver the third health related sustainable development goal (SDG).

Agencia Peruana de Noticias Andina (30.11.2018) El presidente Martín Vizcarra manifestó que el gobierno se compromete a trabajar en las soluciones a los problemas que afectan al sector laboral, con la finalidad de contar con un marco dinámico que permita aprovechar el máximo potencial y talento de los trabajadores. Indicó que una economía competitiva requiere que el mercado laboral funcione de manera eficiente, generando los canales para que el trabajador encuentre un espacio óptimo donde pueda desarrollar sus capacidades.

Cour de cassation (28.11.2018) Par un arrêt rendu le 28 novembre 2018, la chambre sociale de la Cour de cassation statue pour la première fois sur la qualification du contrat liant un livreur à une plate-forme numérique.

Le Figaro (28.11.2018) La Cour de cassation a établi mercredi un lien de subordination entre la défunte société de livraison de repas Take Eat Easy et l'un de ses coursiers à vélo, une décision inédite qui pourrait entrouvrir la porte du salariat à certains livreurs travaillant pour des plateformes numériques.

La Cour de cassation, instance suprême de l'ordre juridique privé français, établit que dès lors qu'existe une relation de contrôle d'activité et pouvoir de sanction, la plate forme est bien l'employeur et cette dernière doit bien verser les cotisations sociales dues à tout salarié. 

Le Temps (29.11.2018) Les problèmes de santé liés à la chaleur augmentent dans le monde à cause des effets du changement climatique sur les personnes âgées, les urbains et les patients déjà affaiblis par une maladie, prévient un rapport publié jeudi. Particulièrement touchée, l'Europe est plus vulnérable que l'Afrique et l'Asie du Sud-Est, car elle compte davantage de personnes âgées vivant dans les villes, où les effets de la chaleur peuvent être particulièrement ravageurs, selon ce rapport paru dans la revue médicale The Lancet et signé par des experts internationaux.

Pakistan Today (26.11.2018) Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday approved a social protection framework for the vulnerable segments of the society, ensuring that they were protected against certain issues affecting them.

FutureProofing Healthcare (25.11.2018) FutureProofing Healthcare: The Sustainability Index aims to start an EU-wide conversation on the need to act now to futureproof healthcare systems, to ensure patients will get the care they need in the coming decades. The Index – which was led by an independent panel of healthcare experts from across the EU, in partnership with Roche – gives a unique snapshot of the current status of the 28 EU healthcare systems, based on the largest data set of its kind.

dguv-forum (Nov. 2018) Flexibilisierung, demografischer Wandel, die ständige Verfügbarkeit von Diensten in der digitalen Wirtschaft – zentrale Themen der Arbeitswelt 4.0 stellen die Kernarbeitszeit von acht Stunden pro Tag infrage. Was bedeutet das für den Arbeitsschutz? Wo ist seine Position in dieser politisch geführten Diskussion? Aber zunächst einige Fakten. In den vergangenen 25 Jahren (1991 bis 2016) ist die Zahl der Erwerbstätigen in Deutschland um vier Millionen auf 43 Millionen Menschen gestiegen. Die Zahl der Arbeitsstunden aber blieb unverändert.

Le Temps (26.11.2018) Dorénavant, tout le monde va s’observer. Les assureurs disposeront d’une base légale permettant d’engager des détectives pour surveiller les assurés soupçonnés de toucher des prestations sociales – notamment d’invalidité ou d’accident – de manière abusive. Les adversaires de ces dispositions vont contrôler leur mise en œuvre. Ceux qui les ont soutenues vont faire de même: ils veilleront au grain afin que les promesses faites durant la campagne soient tenues. Après l’arroseur arrosé, voici le surveillant surveillé.

boursorama (23.11.2018) Au 1er janvier 2019, les régimes de retraite complémentaire Agirc et Arrco fusionnent. A cette occasion, de nouvelles conditions de départ à la retraite sont mises en place. Si vous êtes salarié du privé, le montant de votre retraite complémentaire va être majoré ou minoré de manière temporaire en fonction de votre âge de départ à la retraite. Ce mécanisme est appelé bonus/malus ou coefficient de solidarité.

OECD (November 2018) This annual edition of Labour Force Statistics provides detailed statistics on labour force, employment and unemployment, broken down by gender, as well as unemployment duration, employment status, employment by sector of activity and part-time employment. It also contains participation and unemployment rates by gender and detailed age groups as well as comparative tables for the main components of the labour force. Data are available for each OECD member country and for OECD-Total, Euro area and European Union.

Taarifa Rwanda (23.11.2018) Between 1990 and 2015, Rwanda registered quite a number of milestones in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Infant mortality rate was reduced by 74%, while the rate of maternal mortality reduced by 78%, according to Finance Minister Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana.