The occupied Palestinian territory (OPT) is in the process of rolling out its first comprehensive social security system to cover private sector workers and their family members. Today, only public sector workers have access to social protection benefits, while most private sector workers are effectively not covered in case of old-age, disability or death, employment injury or maternity. With support from the ILO, the framework of the new social security system was developed in 2013 by the tripartite National Social Security Committee, headed by the Prime Minister, and in consultation relevant stakeholders. To build a sustainable social protection system, it is of utmost importance to have an efficient Social Security Institution with adequate administrative capacity.
In response to this need, the Government of Qatar has collaborated with the ILO on the project “Establishing an Independent Social Security Institution for the Administration of the New Social Security System for Private Sector Workers and their Family Members in Palestine”, to improve and strengthen the social protection system in Palestine. This project aimed at enhancing the knowledge of Palestinians workers and employers about the new social security system, setting up Palestinian Social Security Corporation’s (PSSC) comprehensive investment strategy and related structured for rolling out the new system and immediate setup of the institution through direct financial support. Furthermore, PSSC is the first social security institution to be established by the ILO and the lesson learned can thus be shared and considered as a good practice to be applied in other countries.
The support from Qatar to Palestine is a prime example of solidarity among countries from the Global South and of South-South Cooperation, which has been gaining in prominence and importance as vehicles for developing and emerging economies, both for their own development and for their contributions to global development. South-South supports and exchanges, as well as emerging partners, are considered increasingly crucial for the realisation of the Decent Work Agenda, and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, as strongly emphasised during the Second High-Level International Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40) Ain Buenos Aires March 2019.