Growing focus on management of social security
Marcelo Abi-Ramia Caetano from Brazil was elected to a second term as Secretary General in October 2022. As the ISSA enters a new triennium, he gives his reflections on where the Association stands today and the road ahead.
How do you see social security and the role of ISSA today?
A remarkable development I’ve seen over the last few years is that the management perspective of social security has become more and more important, both at the national and international level. Policy options are being linked to discussions on management, implementation and delivery, at a much earlier stage than before. Building on the knowledge and experiences of our members, the ISSA brings this perspective to the table in international fora. We are also pleased to see that our family of social security institutions is growing, and that we now have members in a record 163 countries.
What has marked this last year for the ISSA?
The World Social Security Forum in October 2022 was naturally a highlight. It was such a strong moment for all our members to finally be able to meet, discuss and exchange again with colleagues from around the world after almost three years of the pandemic. I really want to thank our Moroccan hosts for creating such a great atmosphere for us all. Only a few months later, in May 2023, we kicked off the new triennium with the Regional Social Security Forum for Africa in Côte d’Ivoire. But the ISSA is also much more than big events, it’s about producing knowledge, products and services to improve social security administration. I am pleased to see that we are taking important steps to further improve what we can offer to our members.
What kind of new developments does the ISSA have to offer?
At the World Forum we launched two entirely new sets of ISSA Guidelines, one on human resource management and one on the continuity and resilience of social security services and systems. In the new triennium, we will develop guidelines on long-term care, an area of great interest to our members. The mandate of the Working Group on Rehabilitation has been extended and we’ve set up the new Working Group on International Social Security Agreements and Data Exchange. We have also launched the ISSA Collaborative Innovation Hub to co-create innovative solutions among ISSA members, a new international Master’s degree together with partners in France, and we have plans to develop virtual short courses in key areas of social security.
How do you see the Association at the end of this triennium?
While the future is impossible to predict, I am confident that whatever the challenges society faces, the ISSA and its members will have a key role to play. When we stepped into the last triennium in 2020, we had not even heard of COVID-19. Soon, social security was key to solving one the biggest challenges of a generation. Social security institutions demonstrated remarkable resilience, agility and power to innovate. Today’s social and economic challenges will also be with us for many years, and new surprises may come. However, together with our members, we will continue our mission to promote social security for all. How to manage social security effectively will be at the heart of that agenda.
