ISS has been the leader in the field of cross-border social work for almost 100 years. In its leading role, ISS has been instrumental in addressing difficult social issues and improving the lives of individuals and communities. The tireless work of ISS people and their commitment to reuniting families and protecting children remains unwavering. ISS stays dedicated to making a positive impact all over the world.

Anno Coroni or Covid year dominated our minds and our work throughout 2020-21. ISS Navigated between the safety of its staff and and more than ever needed social work requiring, close contact, care and effort. The last 2 years turned out to be complex and difficult to manage, yet dedication, professionalism have proven to be essential ingredients to ensure work continuity and timely services world-wide.
Solidarity and perseverance over the period were crucial for the General Secretariat teams to support the ISS network despite the team being spread too thin, working remotely with insufficient resources in uncertain times.

2020, with its many challenges including working in a remote environment during an ongoing pandemic, has inspired much creativity and adaptation. ISS has created recommended guidelines for remote assessments, and many ISS members are enhancing their services with new technologies. ISS is exploring how to modernize its processes into its 100th year by researching new ways to work together using technology and how to improve its core service, cross-border case management through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).

ISS of today remains an agile and flexible organisation that employs professionals applying agreed standards set forth by international children’s rights and child protection conventions, through socio-legal services for the benefit of the people it supports and assists. With legal frameworks set by these conventions partially addressing the overall problem facing children and families on the migration routes, ISS professional staff, interns and volunteers who are familiar with these conventions and understand local customs, ‘personalise’ the problem and tailor a solution for it, providing practical, psychological and socio-legal advice to achieve a durable and satisfactory solution.

Our world has many problems to resolve. War-torn countries and failing states glare at us from the headlines. Cases of discrimination, poverty and human rights abuse seem to greet us every morning, in every language, across every media channel. Each day, world affairs make grim reading. More than ever, ISS is needed at the four corners of the world. Having embarked on the change of course we set ourselves with the 2014-2018 Global Strategy, we believe we can face the ever-changing challenges ahead of us with more hope of success.

The ISS Network has a highly distinguished past history and the potential is great for an even better future in a world that has become increasingly transnational. The challenge to all of us Members is to ensure we meet this opportunity and provide our unique specialised service to the tens of thousands of children and families who have no other salvation than ISS.

For more than 85 years, the International Social Service (ISS) has vigorously assisted children, vulnerable adults and families separated by international borders. We have developed an expertise and professionalism that is now unmatched in our field. At the beginning of the 21st century, however, we felt it was time to modernise our strategic objectives to better prepare the network to take on new challenges and address the ever-changing (and increasing) migration patterns.