Within the workshop Mr. Yves Rossier, the Ambassador of Switzerland to the Russian Federation, will give a talk called “The Swiss Social Security : Improving the System to Face the Challenges of the Time”

Social expenditures have the highest priority among other public expenditures in Switzerland. The dependency ratio as well as life expectancy at age 65 are increasing in Switzerland as in other developed countries. The features of Swiss three-pillar pension system will be considered in the report. The first pillar of the system is a basic one and covers minimum needs of the entire population. The second pillar includes mandatory occupational pension insurance to maintain the accustomed standard of living of enable employees. The third one is voluntary and provides individual provident. The first pillar pensions are financed by workers’ current contributions (pay-as-you-go system), and the benefit size depends on previous position on labor market. Pension of the second pillar is calculated on basis of accumulated pension assets of (mandatory) insured persons. The third pillar pensions are accumulated on saving accounts or investment bank accounts or in the framework of the insurance product until the occurrence of a certain event (age, disability, death). In addition to pensions, the report systematizes the existing types of social insurance in Switzerland.

The workshop will be moderated by Dr. Oksana Sinyavskaya, Deputy Director, Institute for Social Policy, Higher School of Economics