The XIXth World Congress for Safety and Health at Work will be held in Istanbul in September 2011.

The Congress, which meets every three years, is an international forum that brings together more than 4.000 experts sharing ideas and practical experiences on current issues in the field of occupational safety and health. It is organized jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and, in 2011, by the Turkish government. The Congress aims at contributing to the development of a "preventive safety and health culture and to raise safety and health at work in the highest priorities at the national and international levels".

The XVIIIth World Congress was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in June 2008. It gathered close to 4,500 occupational safety and health professionals and other participants from over 120 countries, making it the largest gathering in the event's 60-year history. Many issues were discussed such as risk management, the impact of informal economy and migrations on OSH, the risks of nanotechnology, HIV/AIDS and the world of labour, etc.
High-level decision makers attending this Summit signed the Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work which serves as a reference for employers, workers and governments wishing to collaborate in activities aimed at a reduction in the incidence of occupational accidents and diseases.