In 1994 the International Institute for Labour Studies, with the financial support of the UNDP, launched an interregional research project on the patterns and causes of social exclusion as its contribution to the World Summit for Social Development. The project introduced the concept of social exclusion into the international development debate by extending it beyond its Western European origins to developing and transitional economies where it now finds increasing reflection in their examination of, and responses to, the social consequences of economic change and globalization. The overall objective of the project is „to improve the basis of action at local, national, and international levels, aimed at the eradication of poverty and promotion of social integration”, by adding a new dimension to anti-poverty policies which focussed more sharply on the role of institutions and actors in minimizing social exclusion and maximizing integration and cohesion. The analytical studies carried out in the context of the project explored the multiple dimensions of disadvantage; established the links between livelihood and rights; and identified the basis for enlarging action against poverty. They highlighted the various meanings of social exclusion in different models of society, including key differences in its interpretation within industrial countries. They proposed a working definition of the concept which distinguished between social exclusion as an attribute of individuals and of societies. The policy implications of the project were twofold. It suggested that the concept could be used as a framework for strategies to address issues such as social justice in a globalized world, and proposed an approach which focused on (meso-) institutions - such as the basic markets, citizenship rights and civil society - as the key instruments for the reduction of exclusion and the promotion of social cohesion. Secondly, it clarified the differences and complementarities between social exclusion and poverty. (Źródło: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inst/project/socexcl.htm)