Declaration of
the 28th General Assembly
of the International Social
Security Association
Beijing 2004
Social security directors,
policymakers and administrators, representing the 377 member institutions of the
International Social Security Association (ISSA) in 151 countries, gathered in
Beijing, China from 12 to 18 September 2004, for the 28th General
Assembly of the ISSA.
The General Assembly
focused on the role that social security plays in economic and social
development, and the necessity of ensuring sound governance and guaranteeing
rights to social security. The
reform efforts undertaken by all nations throughout the world to improve their
social security systems were highlighted by the
Assembly.
The General Assembly noted
with profound concern that:
·
The majority of the world’s population is not covered by any formal
social security protection against the risks of old age, disability, death,
sickness, work accident and unemployment, and that coverage rates in certain
parts of the world have even declined in recent
years.
·
Public discussion is dominated by the cost of social security while
the economic and social development benefits of social security in a globalized
world have been largely ignored.
·
Demographic ageing is often perceived as a challenge to social
security protection.
·
Efforts to ensure the financial sustainability of social security
schemes may neglect the adequacy of benefit levels and consequently the level of
protection provided to individuals.
·
The combined effect of these trends has contributed to undermining
public confidence in the future viability of social security programmes, leaving
many citizens confused and worried about what protection will be provided to
them and their families in the event of need.
The Chairperson and
Vice-Chairpersons of the General Assembly declare that the deliberations of the
General Assembly have demonstrated that there is an international consensus of
the following key points:
The
Essential Link Between Economic and Social Development
Social security plays a pivotal role in stimulating
economic and social development by supporting economic growth and fostering
social cohesion. Social and economic development must occur hand-in-hand and
social security is a key factor for achieving both.
Extending
Coverage
In order to reduce poverty
and achieve social inclusion, coverage must be extended to the categories of the
population that do not benefit from any formal social security protection.
Social security is at the core of any poverty reduction strategy, and new
approaches to extending coverage must be sought.
Sound
Governance and Public Understanding
Sound governance is the
foundation of an effective social security programme. Clear and effective
communications and balanced debates about social security create confidence and
empower the public to make informed choices. The programme must be administered
with integrity and with respect for the laws on which it is
founded.
Rights to Social Security
Governments are responsible
for providing appropriate guarantees of social security rights. This
responsibility includes putting in place effective supervisory and regulatory
mechanisms to protect the benefit rights of members of privately managed social
security schemes.
Population
Ageing
Population ageing presents both
opportunities and challenges to reform labour markets to adapt to the
ever-evolving global economy and to ensure long-term sustainability of social
security schemes. Governments have a key role to play in extending working lives
by changing retirement patterns and in developing their labour markets through
skills and learning development.
Conclusion
Social security plays an
essential role in economic and social development. All countries must therefore
renew their efforts to cope with the challenges facing social security, to take
immediate action to extend social protection to those living at the margins of
society and to make social security available to more
people.
Each country must decide
what kind of social security system it wants and can afford, and build a system
which fully reflects the values of the people. This is not a decision for
government alone, or for social security administrators alone or for the social
partners alone. A strong government commitment to social security is essential
for ensuring its long-term social and financial
sustainability.
The ISSA is in a unique
position to assist social security institutions throughout the world in their
efforts to extend social security coverage, to improve their administrative
capacity and service to the public, to improve the level of protection and to
promote a more informed debate about the future of social security in their
countries.
The ISSA must therefore
increase and improve its efforts to pursue the objective set out in its
Constitution: “…to co-operate, at the international level, in the promotion
and development of social security throughout the world …in order to advance the
social and economic conditions of the population on the basis of social
justice.”
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