Countries around the world are engaged in debate on how to reform their social security schemes to meet the challenges of ageing populations, globalization and changing employment and social conditions. The ILO believes that there is no single right model of social security and that each country should devise its own model in accordance with its social and cultural values, history, institutional framework and level of economic development. Although the ILO praises diversity of means, it recommends that all systems respect basic principles and aim at reaching the minimum standards set by ILO Conventions. To build sustainable, affordable and effective social security schemes, policy-makers, administrators and social partners involved in social protection systems should  frequently observe to international best practice and standards,  access the latest information and acquire relevant technical skills.

To enhance the capacity of governments, employers' organizations, workers' organizations and other social and economic stakeholders to play an effective role in the design, management and governance of social security schemes, the Social Protection Programme of the Centre offers the following learning activities:

• Pension schemes: workshops to improve the participants' skills in designing pension schemes and improving the administration and governance of social security institutions.
• Social security financing: courses to develop the skills of the participants in applying the principles and methods of financing, actuarial and statistical techniques, basic modelling and investment of social security funds.
• Social health insurance: courses to enhance the capacity of planners and managers to design and implement a social health insurance scheme and its links with the national health care system.
• Social assistance: training sessions to analyse programmes and measures to assist the most vulnerable population groups.
• Social budgeting: training programmes that provide participants with the skills to develop a clear quantitative profile of their respective countries' existing social security systems, to model the long-term impact of various reforms, and to communicate results to political decision-makers.
• Governance and investment of public pension funds: courses provide advanced knowledge and management tools needed for the effective supervision and administration of public and private pension schemes and pension fund investments.

We prepare our training courses in close collaboration with the Social Security Department of the ILO (SECSOC) and the International Social Security Association (ISSA). Several workshops include study visits to selected European social security institutions. We offer these learning programmes in five languages: English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Portuguese. Tailored-made courses in Russian, Chinese or other languages are also held on request.