These guidelines are consistent with the ISSA Guidelines on Good Governance, a comprehensive set of guidelines covering a range of internal governance processes required in the administration of social security institutions.

The aim of the ISSA Guidelines on Investment of Social Security Funds is to expand on and complement the nine investment-related guidelines in the ISSA Guidelines on Good Governance. There will be some common ground between the two sets of guidelines. Some of these guidelines have taken and developed existing investment-related guidelines in the ISSA Guidelines on Good Governance. And whereas the ISSA Guidelines on Good Governance addresses some investment processes, these guidelines consider all aspects of the investment process; thus, the ISSA Guidelines on Investment of Social Security Funds not only expands on the investment topics addressed in the ISSA Guidelines on Good Governance but also addresses new issues.

The investment activities of the board, management, investment unit and other representatives of the social security institution should respect ISSA’s five principles of good governance, as detailed in the ISSA Guidelines on Good Governance (Accountability, Transparency, Predictability, Participation, Dynamism).

The guidelines, structure and principles described in this publication are focused on the functioning of the investing institution. In accordance with the legislation establishing a social security institution and/or the decision of the scheme’s governing body, the investing institution may be either the entity administering the social security institution or an entity established expressly for the purpose of investing the scheme’s funds.