The Relations of Social Security and Social Welfare Services

THE PAST few years have seen a growing interest, iu countries at, varyiiig stages of economic and social developmeut, in the appropriate development and organization of social welfare services. Coucepts aud definit,ious as well as methods of providing social services vary greatly, but it seems evident that industrialization aud urbauizat,ion have created certain commuuit,y ueeds to which people everywhere are responding in greater or lesser measure. The Unit,ed Nations, primarily through the act.ivities of the Social Commission, has given considerable attention to the ueed for social services. Kntil very recently its primary emphasis has beeu on the training of social workers. a11 expert group aEl)oiuted by the United Nations, which reported iu early 1959 on “The Developmeut of National Social Service Programs,” noted the potentially close relations between social security and social service programs and recommended that the IYuited Nations nud the Iuternational Labor Orgauizatiou joiutly make a special study of the iuterrelat.ions of such programs. This recommendation was approved by the Social Commission aud the Ec.onomic and Social Council, but bec.ause of the pressure of other work concentrated studies are only now gett.ing uuder 1vay.l Social Problems, Old-Age Iusurauce, Une.mployment, Insurance, and others. Experience wiih aud the extent of interest. iii the social services vary markedly among different member -institutions. There was cousequent,ly some uncert,ainty as to how much of its effort and limited, resources I.S.S.A. should devote to this area of activity. To help resolve the quest’iou, the Bureau (Executive Committee) decided at its 1959 meeting, held in Rome, to place ou the agenda for the 1961 General Meeting a special report 011 the relations of social security aud social welfare services. The author was requested to prepare aud present. this report. The report aroused considerable interest at the Geiieral Meeting. The topic is also of great iiiterest. in the ITiiitecl States at the present. t,ime. Because of the numerous requests that have beeu received for copies of the material, it has seemed appropriate to present in t’he Ihmmx the body of the report and a brief account of the decision takeu by I.S.S.A. conceruiug its future activities in this field.