International Social Security Association
Encyclopedia
The International Social Security Association (ISSA) is an international organization bringing together national social security administrations and agencies. Founded in 1927, the ISSA has around 340 member organizations in 150 countries. It has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, in the International Labour Office (ILO). The ISSA President, elected in 2010, is Mr. Errol Frank Stoové (Netherlands) and the Secretary General since 2005 is Mr. Hans-Horst Konkolewsky (Denmark).
(1948). The development of social security programmes is one of the most significant social achievements of the international community, but its enhancement and extension remain one of the main challenges of the 21st century.
As per the ISSA Constitution, the term "social security" means any scheme or programme established by legislation, or any other mandatory arrangement, which provides protection, whether in cash or in kind, in the event of employment accidents, occupational diseases, unemployment, maternity, sickness, invalidity, old age, retirement, survivorship, or death, and encompasses, among others, benefits for children and other family members, health care benefits, prevention, rehabilitation, and long-term care. It can include social insurance, social assistance, mutual benefit schemes, provident funds, and other arrangements which, in accordance with national law or practice, form part of a country's social security system.
At the World Social Security Forum held in December 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa, the ISSA Secretary General Mr. Konkolewsky called for a “worldwide culture of social security” as a foundation for the financial, social and political legitimacy of social security in challenging times.
The ISSA's aim is to promote Dynamic Social Security as the social dimension in a globalizing world through supporting excellence in social security administration. To face the evolving needs of the world’s population, the ISSA advocates that social security must increasingly adapt and innovate to foster integrated, coherent, proactive, and forward-looking social security policies with the aim of better ensuring universal access to social security.
(ILO) on 4 October 1927 in Brussels (Belgium), as the International Conference of Sickness Insurance Funds and Mutual Benefit Societies - Conférence internationale des unions nationales de sociétés mutuelles et de caisses d'assurance-maladie. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-246X.2007.00304.x The name was changed in 1936, in Prague (Czechoslovakia), to the International Social Insurance Conference - Conférence internationale de la mutualité et des assurances sociales (CIMAS). The present name was adopted in 1947, in Geneva (Switzerland), together with a new Constitution.
The ISSA is accorded General Category consultative status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)http://www.un.org/ecosoc. This accreditation by the United Nations has been given in recognition of the fact that the ISSA's work conforms to the spirit, charter and principles of the UN http://www.un.org. The privileges that come with this title affords to the ISSA the right to attend, and contribute in a substantive manner to, UN General Assembly special sessions, as well as international conferences called by the UN and other intergovernmental bodies.
In the space of eight decades, the ISSA has expanded into a worldwide Association, now bringing together around 340 organizations in more than 150 countries.
.
Social security
The recognition of social security as a basic human right is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human RightsUniversal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
(1948). The development of social security programmes is one of the most significant social achievements of the international community, but its enhancement and extension remain one of the main challenges of the 21st century.
As per the ISSA Constitution, the term "social security" means any scheme or programme established by legislation, or any other mandatory arrangement, which provides protection, whether in cash or in kind, in the event of employment accidents, occupational diseases, unemployment, maternity, sickness, invalidity, old age, retirement, survivorship, or death, and encompasses, among others, benefits for children and other family members, health care benefits, prevention, rehabilitation, and long-term care. It can include social insurance, social assistance, mutual benefit schemes, provident funds, and other arrangements which, in accordance with national law or practice, form part of a country's social security system.
At the World Social Security Forum held in December 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa, the ISSA Secretary General Mr. Konkolewsky called for a “worldwide culture of social security” as a foundation for the financial, social and political legitimacy of social security in challenging times.
Aims
The constitutional mandate of the ISSA is "to co-operate, at the international level, in the promotion and development of social security throughout the world (…) in order to advance the social and economic conditions of the population on the basis of social justice."The ISSA's aim is to promote Dynamic Social Security as the social dimension in a globalizing world through supporting excellence in social security administration. To face the evolving needs of the world’s population, the ISSA advocates that social security must increasingly adapt and innovate to foster integrated, coherent, proactive, and forward-looking social security policies with the aim of better ensuring universal access to social security.
History
Founded with the support of the International Labour OrganizationInternational Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
(ILO) on 4 October 1927 in Brussels (Belgium), as the International Conference of Sickness Insurance Funds and Mutual Benefit Societies - Conférence internationale des unions nationales de sociétés mutuelles et de caisses d'assurance-maladie. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-246X.2007.00304.x The name was changed in 1936, in Prague (Czechoslovakia), to the International Social Insurance Conference - Conférence internationale de la mutualité et des assurances sociales (CIMAS). The present name was adopted in 1947, in Geneva (Switzerland), together with a new Constitution.
The ISSA is accorded General Category consultative status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)http://www.un.org/ecosoc. This accreditation by the United Nations has been given in recognition of the fact that the ISSA's work conforms to the spirit, charter and principles of the UN http://www.un.org. The privileges that come with this title affords to the ISSA the right to attend, and contribute in a substantive manner to, UN General Assembly special sessions, as well as international conferences called by the UN and other intergovernmental bodies.
In the space of eight decades, the ISSA has expanded into a worldwide Association, now bringing together around 340 organizations in more than 150 countries.
Activities
The ISSA organizes a World Social Security Forum and General Assembly at the end of each triennium (the next will be in Qatar, 2013) and during each triennium organizes four Regional Social Security Forums (in Africa, the Americas, Asia/Pacific and Europe); convenes topic-related technical seminars in various regions; hosts international conferences - on information and communication technology in social security; social security actuaries and statisticians; and international policy research; and is the co-organizer of the World Congress on Occupational Safety and Health every three years. The ISSA collects and disseminates information on social security programmes throughout the world; undertakes research and policy analysis on the social security issues and distributes their results; encourages mutual assistance between member organizations; facilitates good practice collection and exchange; cooperates with other international or regional organizations exercising activities related to the field; communicates with its constituency and media and promotes social security through advocacy and information; and forges partnerships between the ISSA and other international organizations active in the area of social security to advance common strategies, including the International Labour Organization, the OECD and the World BankWorld Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
.
Priorities
The four topical priority areas in the current ISSA programme are:- Administrative and operational efficiency and effectiveness
- Extension of social security coverage
- Proactive and preventative approaches in social security
- Adequacy and quality of social security benefits and services
Publications
The ISSA publishes the world's foremost international quarterly journal in the social security field, the International Social Security Review in English, French, German, and Spanish, in collaboration with Wiley-Blackwell Publishing http://www.wiley.com/bw/submit.asp?ref=0020-871X. The ISSA's periodic series Developments and Trends and Social Policy Highlight disseminate new findings on social security policy and practice internationally. It co-publishes the series Social Security Programs Throughout the World, in co-operation with the US Social Security Administration http://www.ssa.gov/. In partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) http://www.oecd.org/ and the International Organisation of Pension Supervisors (IOPS) http://www.iopsweb.org, the ISSA produces Complementary and Private Pensions Throughout the World. The ISSA also issues an electronic newsletter; social security policy briefs; analytical reports on specific topics; and a range of thematic technical reports. The ISSA documentation service provides information search services and comprises a large collection of publications. The ISSA provides comprehensive data on various aspects of social security including: an overview of social security systems worldwide; a monitor of social security reforms; summaries of complementary and private pension systems; social security legislation; a comprehensive bibliography; and a thesaurus of social security terminology. Databases are available via the ISSA Web portal http://www.issa.int.Governance structure
The main statutory bodies of the ISSA are the General Assembly (meets every 3 years) that consists of delegates appointed by member organizations; the Council (normally meets at each session of the General Assembly) that comprises one titular delegate or one substitute delegate from each country where there is at least one affiliate member organization; the Bureau (meets twice annually) that comprises the President, Treasurer, Secretary General and elected representatives of the 4 geographical regions.Membership
The ISSA's affiliate membership includes government departments, institutions, agencies and other entities and (non-international) federations of these. Associate membership includes (non-international) organizations with objectives compatible with those of ISSA but not qualified to become affiliate members.See also
- Social securitySocial securitySocial security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
- Social ProtectionSocial protectionSocial protection, as defined by the United Nations Research Institute For Social Development, is concerned with preventing, managing, and overcoming situations that adversely affect people’s well being...
- Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at WorkSeoul Declaration on Safety and Health at WorkOn June 29, 2008, the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work signed the Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work. The declaration included statements concerning national governments' responsibility for perpetuating a "national preventative safety and health culture", for improving...