Social Security’s Inter-American Conference Passes Guatemala Declaration at 25th Meeting

The Anguilla Social Security Board was represented at the recently concluded 25th General Assembly of the Inter-American Conference on Social Security, which was held in Guatemala City. The November 2 to 5 meeting was of historic importance to the region as it was the venue for the passing of the Guatemala Declaration in response to the current Economic Crisis. 

Director of the Anguilla Social Security Board Timothy Hodge who represented local organisation at the Conference had the honour of addressing the delegates. He was one of a number of persons who spoke before the Declaration was accepted.

Mr. Hodge explained that the Inter-American conference brings together Social Security systems from the entire Americas including the USA, Canada, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. He said it comprised diverse languages such as English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Dutch.

In his address to the Conference, Hodge noted that the Guatemala Declaration calls for a Social Security Week throughout the Americas. He pointed out that, for some time, the Anguilla Social Security System had observed Social Security Week as the week in which November 3rd falls annually. Hodge detailed that November 3 (the second day of the meeting) was the anniversary of the passage of the Social Security Act in Anguilla in 1980. 

Hodge said he was very pleased to offer his support of the Guatemala Declaration and all that it entails.

The 25th General Assembly of the Inter-American Conference on Social Security aimed to achieve a better collaborative understanding of the effects of the economic crisis and to contribute to making national, sub-regional and regional social security strategies better, more efficient, inclusive and sustainable.

The Guatemala Declaration recognises that the economic crisis has an impact on social security and social coverage in the Americas. It also acknowledged the importance of education, training and the social security culture in sustainable economic development in the Americas. The initiative offers "a response to the economic crisis based on collaboration, education and a culture of social security", and reaffirms the important role that social security systems play, not only in the fight against poverty, but also as a buffer against the crisis and a driver of economic performance.    

The Declaration calls on national stakeholders and international organizations to intensify their efforts in the fields of information and coordination, and invites countries to declare the last week of April each year as a “Social Security Week” in commemoration that on 27 April 1955, Convention 102 went into force. This Convention, together with the Philadelphia Declaration, constitutes one of the worldwide corner stones of greatest relevance, influence and impact in the Social Security field. They recognise Social Security as a fundamental human right.   

The Guatemala Declaration results from an agreement between the International Social Security Association (ISSA), the Inter-American Conference on Social Security (CISS) and the Ibero-American Organization for Social Security (OISS), in collaboration with the International Labour Organization.