Mexico enters the global social security auction
Picture this: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A global forum so important it makes UN meetings look like a boring TikTok. There, among delegates from 163 countries, our beloved Zoé Robledo, director of the IMSS, decided that it was the perfect time to launch the most ambitious proposal since we tried to put chile en nogada on the menu of the International Space Station. Nothing more and nothing less than applying for Mexico to host the World Social Security Forum in 2028. Does it sound like a high-level diplomatic movement? It’s basically the institutional equivalent of saying “hold my michelada.”
But this is not a whim. According to Robledo himself, negotiations have already begun and, apparently, in international corridors there is a lot of talk about what is happening in our country. And no, they do not refer to the Canelo memes (this time). The conversation revolves around the advances in social security that we have had with the famous (or infamous, depending on your Twitter feed) Fourth Transformation. A concept that sounds as epic as the last season of a streaming series, but that in real life translates into public policies that, supposedly, are revolutionizing our social protection system.
Context is key. The forum in Malaysia is not just anything. It is the Super Bowl of social security, an event where 338 member institutions of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) meet. Basically, it’s where all the brains who are preventing the world from becoming a dystopia without pensions get together to drink coffee and debate the future. And our beloved Mexico wants to be the host of this global party in 2028. Will we be able to impress more than with our gastronomic offer? Time will tell.
It’s not just the party, it’s what is talked about in it
Beyond the nomination, which in itself is a movement worthy of analysis in a Twitter thread, the forum has a loaded agenda. The discussions focus on good practices and concrete innovations. Translation: it’s where countries steal each other’s good ideas, but legally and with PowerPoints. A new ISSA benchmark report will be launched, which is basically the “State of the Union” for global social security, detailing trends, challenges and, hopefully, some solutions that don’t involve raising taxes.
That the IMSS is leading this charge is no small feat. It’s as if the team that has always been criticized for its endless lines and Kafkaesque formalities suddenly stood up and said, “Hey, we can host the labor rights Olympics, too.” It is a bold move that seeks to change the international narrative about Mexico, going from being in the news only for security issues (the other, violent) to being a reference in the construction of a robust and innovative social security system.
What does this mean for the ordinary citizen, the one who suffers with the IMSS App at 3 in the morning to make an appointment? Potentially, it’s a light at the end of the tunnel. For Mexico to run and, hopefully, win the seat, implies a high-level commitment to modernize and improve our system. It would be the equivalent of promising your in-laws that you will clean the entire house so that they will let you make Christmas dinner: the pressure to look good is immense, but the result can be glorious. A forum of this magnitude would put the global spotlight on our successes and, let’s be honest, also on our mistakes. It’s a risk, but one that could accelerate the long-promised transformation.
In the grand scheme of things, this is more than an event. It is a geopolitical positioning in an area that affects us all: our health, our pensions and our future peace of mind. In a post-pandemic world, where health systems collapsed and vulnerability was exposed, discussing and leading conversations about social security is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity. And for Mexico to want to be the center of that conversation is, as we would say colloquially, “going overboard” in the best way possible. It demonstrates an ambition that goes beyond the opportunistic photo and enters the territory of building an institutional legacy.
Do you think Mexico is ready to host a world-class event like this and show its real progress? Share this note on your social networks and tell us if you trust that this IMSS movement will really mark a before and after. Explore more content related to social policy and public finance on our site to stay informed on the issues shaping our collective future.
