International Standard-Setting and Innovations in Social Security

"Already from the beginning of the twentieth century, international standards on social security
have been developed by international organizations. A very active period of standard setting
was the 1950s-1970s, although the focus was primarily on European countries. Since the
1990s, few new standards have been developed. Yet, there are still large deficiencies in social
protection in many countries, and poverty keeps on being an unsolved problem. At the same
time, structural changes are introduced to developed social security systems which seem to
jeopardize the implementation of international social standards. On the one hand, the need to
promote social protection for all on a global level is still strongly felt. On the other, innovations
in social security in all part of the world seem to lead to new obstacles on the way to its
realization."