9:30 - 12:30   Conference Hall
Plenary Session: Leo Wildmann Symposium

The ISSA Initiative: Its conclusions, and the shape of future activities

The Leo Wildman Symposium will be devoted entirely to the ISSA Initiative, which was formally launched in Rome in December 1999 and will draw to its close at the 28th General Assembly. The focus of this vast programme was the reinforcement of social security protection for individuals, communities and society as a whole. Over and above the numerous publications and contributions which have come out of the Initiative, this session will emphasize the major conclusions it has brought to the fore.

The first is the magnitude of the challenge of extending social security coverage throughout the world. The problems vary in individual countries depending on their level of development, but the end result is vital for all of them, affecting social cohesion and sometimes even public order. The work of the Initiative has shown that there is no one type of social protection that, alone, can provide a universal solution.

The positive role of social security in the development of society has also been highlighted. This relates not only to its macro-economic impact but also to its major contribution to the socio-economic security of individuals and families.

The strengthening of the safeguards which beneficiaries of social security systems have the right to expect will also be highlighted. This includes legal frameworks that frequently offer only slight protection and restricted access to benefits; the latter must be more than just a possibility. It is also important to consider how current regulations are respected, as well as how the schemes are governed, two key factors in ensuring public confidence.

14:30 - 16:30   Conference Hall
Special Plenary Session: Social security in the People’s Republic of China

Agenda: Social security in the People’s Republic of China

A series of major reforms of the social protection system have been introduced in the People's Republic of China since the early 1980s, in order to adapt the system to changing national and world economic situations, to face up to the emergence or accentuation of various social phenomena such as unemployment or the aging of the population, and to extend coverage, slowly but surely, to the whole population.

A number of steps have thus been taken, over the last two decades, towards the implementation of a modern and innovative system of social protection for the Chinese population. This session, coming as it does at a time when the latter is entering a new phase of development, will provide a perfect opportunity for all the participants in the General Assembly to become better acquainted with this system, to appreciate its originality and particularities, and to become more aware of the challenges it faces and the strategies envisaged to meet them.


16:30 - 17:30 Conference Hall
Closing Session of the 28th General Assembly