The Sub-regions are organs of the Inter-American Conference of Social Security (CISS) in which its activities are deconcentrated, in accordance with the policies established by the General Assembly, in order to ensure the priorities and topics of the subregional level are reflected in the general program of activities of the CISS.
The Secretary-General of the Conference is in charge of the general coordination of the Sub-regions, for which he meets annually with the Coordinators of the Executive Councils, -the authority of these bodies-, composed of a representative from each State of the Sub-region, who will be appointed by the CISS member institutions of the corresponding State.
The Executive Council of each subregion elects a coordinator, who serves as a Representative of the Subregion in the Standing Committee. In addition, each Executive Council designates one of its titular members as a representative before the Directive Board of the Inter-American Center for Social Security Studies.
The functions of the Sub-regions are:
- To attend the declarations and recommendations of the CISS.
- To present the program and annual activity report to the Standing Committee on a yearly basis and every three years to the ordinary General Assembly.
- To encourage cooperation and training of personnel of the Sub-region institutions.
- To organize and hold technical meetings.
- To carry out studies and research, promoting, where appropriate, coordination with CIESS and CASS.
- To cooperate and participate in the programs and activities of the other CISS bodies.
The General Assembly may integrate, modify or suppress new Sub-regions.
Currently, the Sub-regions are shaped as follows:
- Andine: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
- Central America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.
- Southern Cone: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.
- North America and the Anglo Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Curasao, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
- Mexico and the Latin Caribbean: Cuba, Guadalupe, Haiti, Mexico and Dominican Republic.