Recognizing the value of prevention, social security institutions are actively seeking solutions to support covered employers and workers. The Vision Zero strategy was developed by the International Social Security Association (ISSA), and offers an innovative, yet simple and easy-to-implement strategy to reduce work-related accidents and diseases. This article introduces recent Vision Zero and occupational safety and health implementation initiatives developed by European institutions. It underscores the importance of selecting the most suitable prevention approach for different target groups, and outlines both obstacles and opportunities that can help progress in prevention.

Health care is a vital component of any comprehensive social security system and an important priority for members of the International Social Security Association (ISSA). The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored this fact, highlighting the need for sustainable, adaptable and resilient health care systems capable of ensuring universal access to affordable and effective care. Achieving this is not simple. Health is a complex and challenging branch of social security, requiring an array of coordinated inputs and structures to meet health care needs.

In the Americas, diverse long-term care (LTC) systems reflect varying regional needs and capabilities. This article examines LTC systems in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay providing a detailed description of health and social care services available to their aging populations.

While Africa is the region with the lowest formal social security coverage rates, socio-economic security also relies on African kinship and community support systems and mechanisms that play an important role in the protection of people faced with the contingencies of life.

The lack of social security coverage for the self-employed has recently attracted significant attention in Europe. Changes in the world of work, including the rising prevalence of platform work, have led to an increasing number of self-employed workers with lower incomes. These trends, together with the COVID-19 pandemic, have shed light on the historically insufficient protection for the self-employed across the region.

Increasingly, climate change and environmental protection are taking centre stage in the global discourse on social security. This is mainly due to the key role social security benefits and services play in mitigating the negative socio-economic impacts of climate change on individuals and families, as well as the growing strains on social security systems due to the evolving  nature of climate related risks. 

Quality of service has been a constant commitment of social security institutions, knowing that user satisfaction shapes citizens' perception, experience and trust in public services. This article shows how institutions have implemented approaches outlined in the ISSA Guidelines on Service Quality and highlights the importance of providing quality services that are user-centred to generate greater value for members.

In Europe, as globally, platform work remains a growing phenomenon. This article explores how recent developments in Europe affect platform workers’ rights and access to social security. In particular, it considers recent steps toward the appropriate classification of certain workers, changes in working conditions, and the extension of new rights and responsibilities.

Ensuring adequate social security coverage for an ageing population is an important priority for governments and the global membership of the International Social Security Association (ISSA). Social pensions, also known as zero pillar or non-contributory pensions, complement contributory social insurance systems by providing a guaranteed source of income for people not adequately protected by other forms of social security. In doing so, they expand overall social protection and can be a powerful tool for combating old-age poverty, promoting social inclusion, and mitigating the impacts of labour market inequalities.

Communication plays an essential role in social security institutions so that members and beneficiaries have access to the information necessary to exercise their rights and fulfil their obligations through the services provided, as well as developing a social security culture. This article presents experiences of multi-channel communication strategies implemented by social security institutions in the Americas, which strengthened existing communication channels and developed new digital channels.