Articles
Search in: Articles
December 2011
-
Social security for all
01 December 2011
According to the ILO’s “World Social Security Report 2010/11”, only 20 per cent of the world’s working-age population has access to comprehensive social security systems.
May 2011
-
Social security and ageing populations in developing countries
01 May 2011
It is common knowledge that life expectancy in Western countries has increased over the past several decades and will continue to rise. However, it may come as a surprise to some that the ratio of elderly people is rising faster in the developing world than in industrialized countries.
December 2009
-
From Bismarck to Beveridge: Social security for all
01 December 2009
120 years ago, Germany became the first nation in the world to adopt an old-age social insurance programme, designed by Otto von Bismarck...
-
Ageing societies: The benefits, and the costs, of living longer
01 December 2009
Population ageing, defined as a process which increases the proportion of old people within the total population, is one of the main problems of this century. It affects or will affect both developed and developing countries. It appears on the agendas of meetings of all kinds, from the G8 conferences to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summits. According to a report for a recent meeting of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) , this does not mean, however, that all the necessary action has been taken yet.
-
Turning crisis into an opportunity: The role of social security in response and recovery
01 December 2009
Even before the current economic crisis, national social security systems were under intense political and economic strain. In industrialized countries, the cost was considered too high, while in many developing countries they were simply considered unaffordable. Now, the economic and social crisis has changed perceptions. Social security systems are seen more and more as useful economic stabilizers in crisis times. Michael Cichon, Director of the ILO’s Social Security Department, looks at social security in times of crisis and the possible dawn of a new development paradigm.
-
Social security: Responding to the crisis
01 December 2009
The financial and economic crisis that began in 2007 has delivered a tumultuous two years for the financial world, sending many financial institutions into a tailspin and putting governments in difficulty. As one might expect with such an extensive crisis, social security systems have also been affected, and social security funds have suffered. A large number of these schemes witnessed a sharp contraction of their asset portfolio values in 2008, affecting their long-term sustainability. Nevertheless, social security systems have responded effectively to the test by softening the impact of the crisis. The challenge for social security now is to continue to cope with rising unemployment and the burden of future debt. Ian Orton, working for the International Social Security Association’s (ISSA) Social Security Observatory, looks at the impact of the crisis on social security.
August 2008
-
A dynamic vision of prevention: The International Social Security Association (ISSA)
01 August 2008
Social security is everybody’s business. It affects our daily life by protecting us against work and life risks – health care needs, disability, old age and unemployment. ISSA Secretary General Hans-Horst Konkolewsky explains how social security and the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases go hand-in-hand.
July 2008
-
Shining a light of hope: Occupational safety and health in the informal economy. Hundreds of millions of workers worldwide suffer from work-related diseases and accidents.
09 July 2008
The ILO estimates that hundreds of millions of workers worldwide suffer from work-related diseases and accidents, the poorest and the least protected being the worst sufferers. Bringing occupational safety and health to those working and living in the informal economy represents a particular challenge as this report from the slums of Pune in India shows.