American Social Security Commissions (CASS)
The creation of the American Social Security Commissions (CASS) arises at the II meeting of the Inter-American Permanent Committee on Social Security, held in Mexico in 1945, when the need for the institution to have specialized bodies was evident.
CASS are the technical support organs for the Inter-American Conference of Social Security to comply with its objectives. Currently, there are 6:
- American Commission of Actuary and Financing;
- American Commission of the Elderly;
- American Social Legal Commission;
- American Commission of Organization and Administrative Systems;
- American Commission for Prevention and Occupational Hazards,
- American Health, Welfare and Social Security Commission.
The General Assembly has the power to create, modify or delete Commissions, when deemed appropriate.
As a technical body, each Commission is made up of the experts accredited by each member of the CISS, meeting once a year ordinarily. Additionally, and for its management, each of the CASS has a Board of Directors, composed of a president, four vice-presidents and a technical secretary.
In the formation of the Boards, it is ensured that all CISS subregions are represented, thus ensuring correct regional representation. The Boards of Directors meet annually on an ordinary basis, and may be convened extraordinarily by their president or by at least two of their members.
Among the functions of the CASS, there are:
- Advise, cooperate and participate in the activities and programs of the CISS bodies, in the area of their competence.
- Organize and hold technical meetings.
- Carry out studies and research, promoting, where appropriate, coordination between them, with the Inter-American Center for Social Security Studies (CIESS) and with the Sub-regions.
- Develop and execute their activity programs.
- Propose to CIESS and the Sub-regions activities related to their specialties.
- Respond to the request for advice required by the members of the CISS regarding their specialty.
- Sanction the report and program of activities that will be submitted annually to the Permanent Committee and every three years to the ordinary General Assembly.
- Collaborate with the General Secretariat to coordinate the meetings of the CASS and other international organizations.
In addition to the provisions of the Statute of the Conference, the CASS are governed by their own Regulations.