The ISSA Technical Seminar: Investing social security funds for viable and sustainable social protection systems will be held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 9–11 September 2024. The event will be organized in cooperation with the ISSA Technical Commission on Investment of Social Security Funds and hosted by the IPS National Social Insurance Fund (IPS Caisse nationale de prévoyance sociale – IPS CNPS) of Côte d’Ivoire.
Investing social security funds play an important role in enhancing the financial sustainability of social security institutions, and their resilience to financial and socio-economic shocks which impact negatively on jobs and labour markets. Over the years, investing social security funds has evolved to become a crucial element in the financial governance architecture of social security schemes.
Investments of social security funds have traditionally focused on financial markets and financial market instruments. However, declining and sometimes negative interest rates, increasing correlation across financial markets and rising volatility of financial market instruments have prompted an increasing inclination towards alternative investments, including infrastructure and impact investing opportunities. While these asset classes provide new opportunities, they equally come with risks that may jeopardize the fulfillment of the mandate of social security institutions.
The incorporation of new asset classes broadens the set of investment opportunities for social security funds. Nonetheless, the challenge of selecting the best investment opportunities to minimize risks and optimize returns while fulfilling the social protection mandate is increasingly compelling. This technical seminar will explore evolving trends and investment practices aimed at enhancing the financial sustainability of social schemes alongside the fulfilment of the social protection mandate with a focus on:
- Financial governance and the investment mandate of social security institutions
- Valuation and portfolio construction in emerging markets and developing economies
- Operational governance and risk management for social security investments
- Investment regulation and treasury management
- Socially Responsible Investment (SRI), Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations and impact investing
The technical seminar will be held in English and French, and simultaneous interpretation will be provided for both languages. It is open to representatives of ISSA member institutions from Africa, members involved in the investment of social security funds and invited participants. There is no registration fee for ISSA members.