The right to social security in the Arab Region - Insights from the OHCHR–ILO factsheet

Organized by the International Social Security Association (ISSA), this event will be held in English and Arabic.

Achieving the human right to social security is fundamental to the realization of other human rights, including the right to an adequate standard of living (such as food, housing, water and sanitation), education and health and is central to advancing human dignity, social justice, inclusive development, and social cohesion.

International human rights instruments and social security standards provide a widely recognized normative framework guiding States in the progressive realization of the human right to social security, to the maximum of available resources, through national efforts and international cooperation. This includes meeting core obligations to guarantee at least a minimum level of social protection across the life cycle for all, without discrimination, while progressively building more comprehensive, adequate, and sustainable social security systems based on social solidarity and collective financing.

In a context marked by overlapping crises, conflict, economic volatility, climate shocks and persistently high levels of employment informality, the urgency of strengthening universal social protection systems has become more pronounced. The challenges are prominent in the MENA region, where social protection systems remain fragmented, with notable coverage gaps, and where the need to balance extension objectives with fiscal sustainability considerations remains a key concern of policymakers.

The joint OHCHR–ILO factsheet “The Right to Social Security” provides timely and practical guidance on what the right to social security entails in practice, States’ and non-State actors’ obligations, and concrete pathways for implementation. Based on human rights law and international social security standards, the factsheet clarifies how rights-based social protection systems can be designed, financed in a sound manner, and governed effectively, including through inclusive participation and accountability, and with particular attention to vulnerable and marginalized groups.

This episode of the Arab Social Protection Compass webinar series will situate the factsheet’s key messages within the regional social protection discourse, bridge global normative guidance with country level realities, and stimulate dialogue on how the right to social security can be operationalized through integrated social protection approaches in the Arab region.