ILO, China Deepen Partnership on Skills and Social Protection

The commitment was underscored during Annual Project Steering Committee (PSC) meetings held on 12 February 2025 under the ILO-China Partnership framework.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) have reaffirmed their strategic partnership to strengthen skills development, expand social protection and advance South-South cooperation across Asia and Africa.

The commitment was underscored during Annual Project Steering Committee (PSC) meetings held on 12 February 2025 under the ILO-China Partnership framework. The meetings reviewed progress achieved in 2025 and set strategic priorities for 2026 workplans under two flagship initiatives.

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Expanding Skills Development Through South-South Cooperation

One of the key initiatives reviewed was the ILO/China Partnership Programme on Strengthening Skills Development in Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar through South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC).

Ma Hezu, Deputy Director-General of MOHRSS, highlighted major achievements under the programme, including:

• Adoption of a Skills Development Law in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

• Continued expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Skills Development Network

• Strong performance by young competitors from Cambodia and Lao PDR at the WorldSkills ASEAN competition, supported by Chinese technical institutions

In December 2025, MOHRSS and the ILO signed a project amendment under which China committed an additional US$1 million to the skills initiative. Indonesia has also joined as a new partner country, expanding the programme’s regional reach.

Priorities for the next phase include:

• Scaling up the “Skills for Dream” workshops

• Strengthening regional coordination

• Enhancing visibility and measurable impact

• Deepening alignment with the ILO Decent Work Agenda

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Advancing Social Protection and Digital Transformation

The second initiative focuses on extending social protection coverage to workers in the informal economy in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Kenya, while leveraging digital transformation through South-South cooperation.

Progress under the programme includes:

• Launch of Lao PDR’s first social security mobile application, improving access to services

• A study visit by Kenya’s National Social Security Fund to Changsha and Chongqing in China to learn from digital social security systems

Kenyan officials described the visit as a valuable opportunity to strengthen strategies for extending social security coverage and improving digital service delivery.

The initiative aims to address one of the most pressing global challenges: expanding social protection to informal workers, who represent a majority of the labour force in many developing economies.

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Strengthening Global Commitment to Decent Work

Tuomo Poutiainen, Deputy Regional Director of the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, emphasized the broader significance of the partnership.

“The partnership remains central to the ILO’s mission to promote decent work, full employment and social justice worldwide,” he said.

The ILO-China Partnership aligns with the ILO’s broader goals of:

• Promoting decent employment opportunities

• Supporting inclusive economic growth

• Expanding social protection systems

• Strengthening technical cooperation between developing countries

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A Model for South-South Collaboration

The collaboration between the ILO and MOHRSS reflects an expanding model of South-South and triangular cooperation, where countries share technical expertise, policy experience and institutional capacity to address common development challenges.

With additional funding, expanded partnerships and stronger digital integration, the next phase of the programme is expected to deepen regional cooperation and deliver tangible results in skills development and social protection systems.