Digital economy, labour market transformations, demographic change and evolving public expectations challenge social security systems to innovate in order to guarantee sustainability, ensure adequacy and maintain coverage for all types of workers. At the same time, new technologies provide opportunities for social security institutions to tailor services, enhance pro-active measures and communicate with the public.

Now is the time for social security institutions throughout Europe to develop innovative strategies and shape the social security of tomorrow.

Building on this broadening role of social security administrations in Europe, the Forum will provide a unique opportunity for participants to network, exchange experiences and learn about good practices in overcoming key challenges. An interactive format will ensure that participants are able to gain insights into a variety of topical issues and solutions.

Programme highlights

Focusing on excellence as a key condition for sustainable protection and continuous innovation in social security in Europe, the programme of the ISSA Regional Social Security Forum will include the following themes:

Day 1:Key challenges for social security in Europe
Presentation of the ISSA Good Practice Award for Europe

Responding to the priorities voiced by the ISSA members from Europe in the ISSA regional challenges survey, and based on a global report published at the last World Social Security Forum, the ISSA will present its first report on the ten key challenges for social security in Europe. Through the solutions and responses identified in the report as well as panel discussions of social security leaders from across the region, the session will provide an overview of the dynamism of social security in Europe and constitute a foundation for the subsequent topical exchanges at the Forum

The ISSA Good Practice Award for Europe recognizes the best good practices in the administration of social security in the region and will be presented at the Forum. The Award and certificates, as decided by an international Jury, will frame the content of the Excellence & Innovation Day.

Day 2:Excellence and innovation in social security administration

In a rapidly evolving context of social security reform, increasing public expectations and technological innovation, social security administrations need to address complex institutional issues through a commitment to excellence and innovation. The objective of the Excellence and Innovation Day is to support this commitment by providing participants with the opportunity to exchange on evaluated good practices and innovative measures implemented by organizations to tackle priority institutional challenges.

Following a keynote presentation on strategies to respond to increasing public expectations, a series of parallel sessions will feature good and innovative practices based on the submissions to the regional ISSA Good Practice Award competition and provide opportunities for in-depth interaction and discussion. The Excellence and Innovation Day will conclude with a plenary session featuring a presentation of the winning entry of the ISSA Good Practice Award competition for Europe 2019.

Day 3:Building the future of social security in Europe – Social security in a world in transformation
Regional Social Security Summit for Europe

The demographic, labour market and economic transformations require social security systems to identify solutions to meet new coverage and financing challenges. This plenary session will address two main issues facing social security systems:

• New forms of work – Ensuring protection and financing

The profound changes of the labour market and the increasing importance of new forms of work raise new issues related to coverage of all individuals as well as social security financing. This session will examine potential new solutions to adapt to this new reality and ensure continued adequate protection and financial sustainability.

• Changing needs of an ageing population

The ageing of the population presents a formidable challenge to social security. While financial sustainability remains an important priority, systems must also develop coherent strategies to respond to a rising demand for health and long-term care services. This session will examine the evolving needs of an aging population and what they mean for the future of social security, in particular from a life-cycle and citizen-centric perspective.

This session will be followed by the Regional Social Security Summit for Europe. Social security plays a critical role in enabling social cohesion and inclusive growth. It does so by reducing inequalities, supporting the development of human capital and providing protection at times of vulnerability. However, in a world in transformation, strategies to continuing and strengthening this important positive impact of social security through universal coverage, sustainability and adequacy must be designed and implemented.

The Regional Social Security Summit will bring together senior representatives of governments and international organizations to debate the policies and actions necessary to achieve these objectives in the region.

The Forum is open to ISSA member organizations from the European region and invited participants only. The languages of the Forum will be English, French, German, Russian and Spanish. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in these languages.