The World Social Security Forum is the largest international gathering dedicated to social security professionals and administrators, enabling decisions-makers from around the world to engage in strategic debate as well as exchange and discuss how to build and extend social security worldwide.

“It is with great pleasure that we invite our global membership to Brussels to celebrate the World Social Security Forum in the city where the ISSA was founded more than nine decades ago in October 1927. We are therefore most grateful to our Belgian member organizations for hosting the ISSA’s flagship event in the ‘Capital of Europe’ ”, said Marcelo Abi-Ramia Caetano, Secretary General of the ISSA. “As the theme ‘Protecting people in a changing world’ indicates, the WSSF takes place at a time of rapid technological, economic and demographic change, and a special focus of the Forum will be innovative approaches to meet key challenges and strengthen the positive role of social security in society”, he continued.

Highlights of the World Social Security Forum:

• More than 1,000 participants from over 120 countries, including ministers, leaders of national institutions and agencies and senior officials from international organizations.
• Discussion on shaping the future of social security in the context of the digital economy changing labour markets and evolving needs of an ageing population.
• Focus on excellence and innovation in social security administration, and the sharing of experiences of ISSA members working with the ISSA Guidelines and the ISSA Centre for Excellence.
• Launch of the new ISSA Guidelines on Combatting Error, Evasion and Fraud in Social Security, and revised versions of other existing Guidelines.
• Announcement of the ISSA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Social Security, recognizing a country or national institution for its contribution to the development of social security.

As a further cause for celebration in Brussels, the hosting of the WSSF in 2019 marks 75 years of the social security system in Belgium.