One year ago, in September 2017 in Singapore, the International Social Security Association (ISSA) made history as we launched the first ever worldwide prevention campaign: “Vision Zero” - for a world of work without accidents, diseases and harm.  Since then, the response has been overwhelming, placing ISSA at the heart of global prevention affairs as the Vision Zero community has grown to more than 2,800 companies, partner organisations and trainers from 136 countries.

“Coming together with those furthest behind to build an inclusive world of universal respect for human rights and dignity” was the theme of the 2018 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. In working towards the objectives of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals agenda, to leave no one behind, the global community is seeking to accelerate coordinated action to eradicate all forms of poverty.

For the social security of older persons, a key issue relates to the sustainability and adequacy of old-age pension programmes.

Death data is of crucial importance in order to avoid both the living dead and the dead living. The first group are people who have died but are counted as alive in national records. The second group includes living people falsely listed as dead. The ISSA organized a tailored seminar on this issue focused on enhancing program integrity, hosted by the U.S. Social Security Administration.

On 28 September 2018, the International Organizing Committee (IOC) of the XXII World Congress met in Toronto to discuss the programme of the next World Congress. The IOC, which is composed of members from the organizing host country, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the ISSA, jointly signed a Memorandum to host the World Congress and validated the Congress’ outline and structure. The Media Festival, organised by the International Section of the ISSA for Electricity, Gas and Water, and the International Section of the ISSA on Information will play a key role in the congress.

The National Pension Service of the Republic of Korea wins the 2018 ISSA Good Practice Award for Asia and the Pacific for the provision of one-stop services through four social insurance information systems. The winner came from one of the 76 entries to the competition from across the region.

Social security professionals have identified the priority challenges for social security in Asia and the Pacific. Key issues relate to closing the coverage gap, meeting health and long-term care needs and the technological transition. These and other challenges require strategic and often innovative responses by social security policy-makers and administrators, according to a new report published by the ISSA.

On 4 October at the ISSA Regional Social Security Forum for Asia and the Pacific, the ISSA Secretary General, Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, presented Certificates of Excellence to the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) of Malaysia for the implementation of the ISSA Guidelines on Workplace Heath Promotion.

 
NOVEMBER

19th ISSA International Conference of Social Security Actuaries, Statisticians and Investment Specialists
6–8 November 2018 (Kuwait City, Kuwait)

Academy workshop: Good Governance - Internal Audit
13–15 November 2018 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Technical Seminar on combating error, evasion and fraud
13–15 November 2018 (Madrid, Spain)

IEN Technical Seminar on Data exchange in social security
29–30 November 2018 (Sofia, Bulgaria)

 
DECEMBER

117th Meeting of the ISSA Bureau
5–6 December 2018 (Geneva, Switzerland)

37th Session of the ISSA Council
7 December 2018 (Geneva, Switzerland)

Technical Seminar on extending social coverage - innovating to reach groups that are difficult to cover
12–13 December (Nuakchot, Mauritania)