The 7th Edition of the ILO Academy on Social and Solidarity Economy

The 7th edition of the ILO Academy on Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) took place in San José, Costa Rica from 21 - 25 November 2016. The Academy was opened by the President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Mr Luis Guillermo Solís, together with the Minister of Labour and Social Security. The ILO Director General, Mr Guy Ryder, gave his welcoming speech through a video message, recognizing the role of a strong social and solidarity economy for sustainable development. With more than 160 participants from 31 countries of Latin America, Europe and Africa, participants enjoyed exchanges on their experiences as well as methodologies related to the topic.

ILO Director-General Guy Ryder video address to the 7th ILO Academy on SSE - Costa Rica

In this edition of the Academy, one of the key topics for discussion was on the contributions of SSE to the creation of decent work in the framework of local development strategies. The Academy tackled this issue through sessions on SSE for employment generation and inclusive and comprehensive territorial development; employment generation in the decent work framework; ethical and solidarity finance; south-south and triangular cooperation; institutional development of SSE; social innovation; and reducing gender gaps through SSE, among others.

Participants at the 7th Edition of the ILO Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) Academy held in San José, Costa Rica, 21 - 25 November 2016.
In Costa Rica, there is an ongoing debate on a SSE legislation at parliamentary level. The Academy committed to contribute to this debate, allowing for exchange of experiences and methodologies on SSE with other countries. Within this framework, a paper on public policies in Costa Rica was launched during the Academy.