World Social Security Forum
Doha, Qatar, 10-15 November 2013
MEDIA INFORMATION KIT
The ISSA
at a glance
The International Social Security Association is the world’s leading international organization bringing together social security agencies and institutions. The ISSA promotes dynamic social security as the social dimension in a globalizing world through supporting excellence in social security administration.
The ISSA provides access to information, expert advice, social security standards and practical guidelines, benchmarking opportunities, good practices and platforms for members to build and promote dynamic social security systems worldwide.
Founded in 1927, the ISSA has its headquarters at the
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323
good practices in social security listed in the ISSA database
2,279
219
countries and territories
2,596
libraries worldwide accessed the International Social Security Review
1,003,890
pageviews of the ISSA Website
1,118,032
unique visitors to the ISSA Website (since launch in June 2008) from
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member organizations in
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PRESIDENT
Errol Frank Stoové (Netherlands)
VICE-PRESIDENT
Datuk Kathiravelu Selvarajah (Malaysia)
TREASURER
Philippe Conus (Switzerland)
SECRETARY GENERAL
Hans-Horst Konkolewsky (Denmark)
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Where?
The WSSF will take place at the Sheraton Doha Resort and Convention Hotel, in Doha, Qatar.
Who?
The World Social Security Forum will involve more than 1,000 participants, including ministers, government representatives, CEOs and senior managers of social security institutions and social policy experts from all regions.
When?
The World Social Security Forum will take place from 10 to 15 November 2013.
Media accreditation will open at 08.30 am on Sunday 10 November 2013, and will be followed by the opening ceremony at 10.00 am.
An opening press conference is planned for Sunday 10 November 2013.
The host organization
The Forum will be hosted by the General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority (GRSIA) of Qatar. The GRSIA provides social protection to Qatari nationals thereby guaranteeing a decent life after their retirement through the disbursement of pension benefits. Established in 2002, the GRSIA has been an ISSA member since 2004.
Programme highlights
The Forum will discuss key issues and trends shaping the future of social security, including the following highlights:
x Analysis of the main global developments and trends in social security.
x Innovative proactive and preventive approaches introduced by social security systems.
x Launch of the ISSA Centre for Excellence in Social Security Administration.
x Presentation of new ISSA professional guidelines for social security administration.
x ISSA and ILO strategies for the extension of social security coverage.
x Social security systems in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
x The World Social Security Summit with government ministers, international organizations and experts.
x Presentation of the ISSA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Social Security.
Forum languages and interpretation
Simultaneous interpretation at the Forum will be provided in English, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian.
Forum documentation will be available in English, French, German and Spanish.
The World Social Security Forum will take place in Doha, in the State of Qatar, from 10 to 15 November
2013. The World Social Security Forum will provide an exclusive platform for more than 1,000 social
security professionals and policy-makers to share knowledge, analyse trends and debate the future of
social security systems worldwide.
Welcome to the World Social Security Forum
World Social Security Forum
Social security: A fundamental right
The ISSA defines social security as any programme of social protection established by legislation that provides individuals with a degree of income security when faced with the contingencies of old age, survivorship, incapacity, disability or unemployment. Social security can also include support for maternity and for families with children, as well as medical care.
In practice, the form and scope of social security systems vary widely, depending on a country’s development, culture and history. Regardless of the context, the ISSA considers social security to be a fundamental human right for all people and workers, and one of the most significant social achievements of the last century.
Social security and the economy
Social security systems represent a major component of modern economies: for example, public social spending is on average 22 per cent of GDP in OECD countries, and this is rising. Social security should not simply be considered as an expenditure, however: evidence confirms that spending on social protection is an investment in the human capital and development of a country, and a major factor of social stability and economic development. Social security is about social justice.
Key challenge: The labour market
The labour market in which social security operates is changing. In some regions, there has actually been an increase in the proportion of the population working in the informal sector in recent years. Youth unemployment remains an issue for many countries in the wake of the economic and financial crisis, and may be further exacerbated in the future.
Key challenge: Demographic ageing
Perhaps the most important external challenge facing
These changes, which are the positive consequence of improved life expectancy and health care, raise
fundamental issues regarding the sustainable financing of retirement benefits.
Key challenge: Health care
Social security is facing new health-care challenges. The increase in non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, often related to changes in lifestyles, is placing growing demands on health and disability provision.
Extension of social security coverage
Social security systems are responding effectively to these challenges. Based on a solid political commitment and heightened attention to the importance of improved administrative capacity, social security coverage has extended considerably in the past years. More people than ever before have access to basic social protection, the adequacy of benefits has improved and new social security approaches have been implemented.
Towards excellence: Proactive social security
Social security systems often have to deal with extraordinarily complex challenges, affecting the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people. This situation requires social security administrations to innovate, to transform their provision of benefits and services for citizens, and to constantly improve their management and the use of information technology. The ISSA fosters innovative measures that go beyond protection, and that invest in the health of citizens and the safety of workers, and that promote employment and empower people.
The ISSA gives high priority to administrative excellence as a condition for successful social security programmes. At the World Social Security Forum, the ISSA will
Social security
Social security
Global megatrends
The first trend identified by ISSA research relates to the complex and multifaceted impacts of the crisis and the resulting uncertain economic, fiscal and labour market environment in which social security administrations are operating. These impacts have often been unpredictable, making it challenging for policy-makers and social security administrations to provide appropriate responses. For example, the effect on labour markets, initially
seen in significant increases in unemployment rates in some countries, has proven to be much more complex – increasing levels of underemployment but also a stagnation or fall in real wages, increases in informal sector activity, and volatile flows of migrant workers. Other key challenges arising from continued economic uncertainty include budgetary and fiscal constraints, increasing inequality, and higher public and political expectations for efficient, effective and high quality services and management.
Social security programmes are responding to the short-term economic and social impacts of the crisis, often with dynamic and innovative approaches. Importantly, these have been undertaken while adaptations to longer-term challenges such as demographic and societal change have accelerated in many countries owing to a combination of increased financial pressure and ensuing political opportunities. As a result, social security systems are increasingly perceived to be robust in terms of their preparedness for short-term shocks and their level of anticipation of longer-term challenges.
A second trend observed during the last three years refers to the significant progress made with regard to the objective to extend social security coverage. Based on the combination of i) an international consensus on a strategy including horizontal and vertical dimensions of extension, ii) sound political commitment in a significant number of countries; and iii) the strengthened capacity of, and innovations led by, social security administrations, there is now a new momentum for extending coverage, in particular to poor and vulnerable groups of the population.
The third key trend observed reflects that innovative, proactive and preventive roles of social security have significantly widened and evolved and are being applied in more social security branches and in all regions. This confirms three realities: first, that such approaches have been recognized as working well in measures to address the challenges faced by work injury, health, disability and unemployment programmes; second, because the crisis has led to a fuller appreciation of the cost effectiveness of anticipatory measures in a range of areas; and, third, because social security administrations are increasingly considered as efficient actors in these roles.
Complementing recent efforts to maintain and extend its protective functions, social security’s role as an investment in people and its positive contribution to social inclusion and economic development have been strengthened through this gradual mainstreaming of proactive and preventive approaches
Significant progress in social security development can be observed during the recent period despite the pressures presented by the volatile and unpredictable short-term operational environment.
In a context of growing demands and often shrinking resources, social security administrations have both facilitated and enabled social security policy responses and improvements. By working with different
stakeholders social security administrations have offered a number of often ground-breaking solutions to policy-makers in dealing with the complex problems faced by society.
Sunday 10 November OPENING CEREMONY
AM 108th Meeting of the ISSA Bureau* AM Opening ceremony
PM Plenary session: Developments and trends in social security in a world of complexity
Monday 11 November
PROACTIVE AND PREVENTIVE SOCIAL SECURITY
AM Plenary session: 31st ISSA General Assembly* AM Plenary session: Social security – Shaping the
future by investing in people
PM Parallel session 1: Sustainability of social security – Present and future
Parallel session 2: Investing in health – The role of social security
Parallel session 3: Employment and activity – The contribution of social security
Parallel session 4: Towards a new social contract – Supporting empowerment
Tuesday 12 November
EXCELLENCE IN SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
AM Parallel session 1: Excellence in service quality – Current strategies and future challenges
Parallel session 2: ICT – A key enabler for achieving excellence
AM Plenary session: Launch of the ISSA Centre for Excellence
PM Interactive sessions
Wednesday 13 November
EXTENSION OF SOCIAL SECURITY COVERAGE
AM Plenary session - ISSA and ILO: Social security coverage for all – International strategies and national innovations
AM Plenary session: Extension of coverage – A key element of growth strategies in BRICS countries PM Parallel session 1: ILO Session - Establishing
social protection floors for growth, decent work and social justice
Parallel session 2: Making social security accessible to difficult-to-cover groups
Parallel session 3: Adequacy of social security benefits and services
Parallel session 4: Innovations in contribution collection and compliance
Thursday 14 November
REGIONAL FOCUS AND SUMMIT
AM Plenary session: Civil retirement and social insurance systems in the Gulf Cooperation Council – Reality and challenges
AM ISSA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Social Security
PM Plenary session: World Social Security Summit PM Closing session
Friday 15 November
ISSA COUNCIL AND BUREAU*
PM 35th Session of the ISSA Council* PM 109th Meeting of the ISSA Bureau*
* Attendance at this meeting is restricted to members of this body. The programme is subject to change.
World Social Security Forum: Programme
World Social Security Forum
The World Social Security Forum is open to media professionals.
Media interested in attending the WSSF should apply for accreditation on arrival. Journalists must be from news or information outlets including press, radio, television or photo, or communication staff of ISSA member organizations.
Accreditation will allow access to the Media Centre, to sessions (unless indicated as restricted access) and documentation and to other support services during the event. Accredited journalists will receive confirmation and badges upon registration.
Accredited media are responsible for their own travel, visa and accommodation arrangements. A list of recommended hotels is available on request.
A WSSF Media Centre for registered media will be in operation throughout the event, and will provide internet access and support facilities for journalists.
Regular press conferences and briefings will be organized. Media Centre staff will be available to facilitate interviews and locate sources.
News, documents, videos and photos from the event will be available on the WSSF Website:
www.issa.int/wssf2013
International media enquiries should be addressed to the ISSA Promotion Unit:
Laurie Jones
Director, ISSA Promotion (Geneva) T: +41 22 799 6144
E: jonesla@ilo.org Alexander Belopopsky
Communication Officer, ISSA Promotion (Geneva) T: +41 22 799 73 23
M: +41 79 773 08 66 E: belopopsky@ilo.org
4 route des Morillons Case postale 1 CH-1211 Geneva 22
T: +41 22 799 66 17 F: +41 22 799 85 09 E: issa@ilo.org
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