МАСО, 22.03.12 | Press release

Cooperating for social security. Assane Diop (left) and Hans-Horst Konkolewsky during the signing ceremony in Geneva. Photo: Crozet/ILO

The Memorandum of Understanding is the first to result from the conclusions of the International Labour Conference in 2011 that called on the ILO to strengthen cooperation with other international organizations in the area of social security. The agreement recognizes the complementarities and potential of strengthened coordination of ISSA and ILO capacities, particularly in the extension of social protection, and commits the two organizations to closer programmatic and strategic cooperation.

The Memorandum was signed by the ILO’s Executive Director of the Social Protection Sector, Assane Diop, and the ISSA Secretary General, Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, in a ceremony attended by members of the ILO’s Governing Body and representatives of other organizations, as well as ISSA and ILO staff, at the ILO headquarters in Geneva.

"This historic agreement recognizes the key contribution of social security institutions to the extension of coverage and the unique role of the ISSA at the international level,” Mr Konkolewsky said during the signing ceremony.

“The Memorandum marks a new chapter in the long-standing strategic partnership between our organizations, which no doubt will benefit ISSA members and ILO constituents, and will reinforce efforts to extend social security worldwide. It recognizes the ISSA´s important role in promoting excellence in social security administration through professional standards and good practice solutions, which will be a key element in the ISSA's support of the ILO's two-dimensional strategy for the extension of social security,” he stated.

"Strengthening the relations between the ILO and the ISSA, which was called for by the International Labour Conference in 2011, has been a personal priority for me," said Assane Diop, ILO Executive Director of the ILO Social Protection Sector.

"Together, we have helped to make the world aware that modern and dynamic social security systems are a powerful tool to combat poverty, social injustice and social insecurity," he said.

The Memorandum of Understanding identifies five key areas for future strategic collaboration:

• Provision of technical advisory services aimed at building institutional capacities, strengthened governance and management of social security.
• Policy development and advocacy to promote the extension of social security coverage.
• Collection and dissemination of knowledge and information, including analytical and statistical databases on social security.
• Development of professional guidelines for social security administration.
• Capacity building and training on social security policy, administration and other areas.

ILO-ISSA agreement: Video summary

The ISSA is the principal international institution bringing together social security agencies, government departments and organizations, and was founded under the auspices of the ILO in 1927 with the aim of strengthening the role of social insurance schemes for the economic and health protection of workers. Since its creation, the ISSA Secretariat has been based at the ILO headquarters, and has worked closely with the ILO in the development of social security.