Introduction

This chapter tells the story of the development of the ‘SPF’ concept from initial conceptualisation in 2000 in the context of debates about the need for a global social floor through to its being accepted as ILO policy. It examines how en route to acceptance compromises had to be made and changes in thinking introduced. These changes included the shift of the SPF from being a defined benefit package to a set of guarantees to be ensured by governments in ways they see fit, the shift from the SPF being a global social floor to being a set of national SPFs and from it being a global social contract to something that would be essentially a national responsibility. The question as to whether the SPF would be primarily about social transfers or also access to services is also addressed.

From a benefit package to a set of guarantees

There is some uncertainty about by whom and where and in what context the concept of a ‘global social floor’ was first articulated. Interestingly, a member of Somavia's Cabinet, when asked this question, was insistent in an email that ‘Somavia's article [Somavia, 2000] published in Feb/2000 … for the very first time [emphasis added] proposed the term “social floor” .’ The email continued:

Certainly in terms of the work of Somavia as ILO director-general the concept of the ‘global social floor’ evolved within the context of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization (ILO 2004b), which called for a global socioeconomic floor. Those involved in the secretariat for the report all recall that this term was uncontentious and clearly had the support of the director-general.