The role of the ISSA Technical Commissions is of crucial importance. They carry out technical projects aligned with the triennial programme and budget, which includes to identify innovative approaches to address the ten global challenges, to oversee the content of the ISSA Guidelines and to support the services of the ISSA Centre for Excellence through expert knowledge and advice. They are also key contributors to preparing the agenda and the technical discussions of the ISSA World Social Security Forum.

Reviewing the ISSA Guidelines as well as the production of additional Guidelines were important priorities during the Forum. Four major Guidelines were discussed in parallel sessions: Service Quality, ICT, Good Governance and the upcoming ones on tackling Error, Evasion and Fraud.

To address the 10 key global challenges in social security, Technical Commissions were asked to send in innovative practices, and over 100 solutions were received and discussed in parallel sessions. In this line, the forum held over two days touched upon important topics for social security including inequalities, youth employment and new risks, aging, health and long-term care, technological transition and rising public expectations and the coverage and protection of migrant workers. A special focus was given to the emerging digital economy and its impact on labour.

After this mid-term review and update of the work plan, the 13th edition of the Forum next year will take place in the week of the 24 June 2019 and focus on the delivery of results of the work of the Technical Commissions to be published during the World Social Security Forum in autumn 2019.

For more pictures from the Forum, take a look at our Flickr album.