The International Association of Social Security (abbreviated in English as "ISSA") founded in 1927, headquartered in Switzerland, is the world's largest multilateral social security forum with 338 organizations Members of 157 countries aiming to promote the development of global social security system through connecting and supporting member organizations to innovate, create and develop sustainable social security.

Dr. Marcelo Abi-Ramia Caetano - General Secretary of the International Association of Social Security (ISSA)

With the consent of the Prime Minister, Vietnam Social Security joined ISSA in 2015, currently the only official member from Vietnam at this important multilateral forum. Vietnam Social Security was honored to receive the ISSA Global Award for the application of information technology to the Health Insurance Expenses Assessment System, a member of the ISSA Technical Committee on pension fund management, simultaneously sent many officials to participate in international training courses and workshops organized by ISSA inside and outside the region.

Vietnam Social Security actively participates in ISSA activities as well as acts as a bridge to link ISSA with the ASEAN Social Security Association (ASSA) during the ASSA Chairmanship in 2018 - 2019. In July 2019, Vietnam Social Security has chaired and cooperated with ISSA and ASSA to successfully organize an international seminar on the topic "Good governance to provide better social security services" in Vietnam to provide knowledge, skills and new management methods for the social security system to adapt to the context and conditions of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of providing social security services for people in the area. These connection and information sharing activities by the Vietnam Social Security organization has received the response and appreciation of both ASSA and ISSA; At the same time, the initial results of joining the ISSA clearly show the role of Vietnam Social Security as an active and responsible member of the world social security community, contributing to further enhancing the position and image of Vietnam in the process of international integration in social security.

Deputy Minister, General Director of Vietnam Social Security – Mrs. Nguyen Thi Minh and Dr. Marcelo Abi-Ramia Caetano - ISSA Secretary General.

Dr. Marcelo Abi-Ramia Caetano, was elected ISSA Secretary General at the ISSA 37 Conference in December 2018. He is a Doctor of Brazilian economics with extensive experience in teaching and managing social security. From 1998 to 2016, he has participated in many job positions as a Coordinator for Fees, Accounting and Engineering Studies at the Brazilian Ministry of Social Security, Senior Researcher on Social Security, Social, Help, Demographics, Inequality and Poverty at Brazil's prestigious IPEA Applied Economic Research Institute. After that, he was Deputy Minister of Finance in charge of social security issues, who was responsible for building, monitoring and developing a highly sustainable and adaptive social security system in Brazil from May 2016 to December 2018.

Dr. Caetano has a long experience in retirement, demographics, social insurance, inequality and poverty. He has published many publications and articles in prestigious magazines in Brazil, as well as in the United States, Switzerland, Portugal, Chile and Mexico. He is a senior member of the London School of Economics and an international editorial advisor to the Journal of Social Policy, published by Cambridge University Press.

The visit to Vietnam by ISSA Secretary General takes place from February 20-22, 2020. This is the first official visit to an ISSA member state during the term of General Secretary Marcelo Abi-Ramia Caetano, which is important to affirm the role of ISSA in the international social security community, contributing to promoting and facilitating Vietnam Social Security to continue to integrate, develop and enhance international cooperation in this field.

The delegations of Vietnam Social Security at ISSA headquarters

The development of bilateral and multilateral cooperation relations within the framework of ISSA has expected and will continue to support Vietnam Social Security to supplement and update international knowledge and experience in perfecting business processes, application of information technology, reforming administrative procedures, creating momentum for the development of a professional, modern and integrated social insurance industry in the spirit of the Central Resolution 7.

It is expected that, in the agenda, the General Secretary of the ISSA will pay a courtesy visit to the Government of Vietnam and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to attend cooperative discussions with the leader of Vietnam Social Security and attend the Roundtable between ISSA with Vietnam Social Security and international partners; discuss cooperation with ASSA and visit the IT Center.