Publications on Social and Solidarity Economy

September 2022

  1. Advancing the 2030 Agenda through the Social and Solidarity Economy

    26 September 2022

    The social and solidarity economy (SSE) is a dynamic force for change that is key to realizing the paradigm shift called for in the 2030 Agenda. This Position Paper of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE) examines the contribution of the SSE to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), identifies policy and legal reforms that can foster an institutional environment conducive to SSE, and calls attention to the need for advocacy and policy innovation at multiple levels of governance – local, regional, national and international.

  2. Social and solidarity economy: Social innovation catalyst in Africa?

    19 September 2022

    The report illustrates and characterizes the social innovation processes carried out by Social and Solidarity Economy Organizations (SSEOs) in five African countries (South Africa, Cameroon, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia). By analysing practical cases of social innovation, it explores the extent to which SSEOs contribute to generating social innovation in Africa for a more sustainable and inclusive local development, as well as the creation and promotion of decent work for all. The report highlights internal and external factors impacting SSEOs in their social innovation process and it presents a set of policy recommendations to unlock the potential of SSEOs as catalyser of social innovation in African.

June 2022

  1. Cooperatives and the World of Work No. 16 - Legal Compendium on the Social and Solidarity Economy

    03 June 2022

    A shared understanding of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) is emerging from the development of legislation and statistical frameworks on the SSE. Since the turn of the century, legislation on the SSE has been adopted in more than 20 countries. Based on a review of the legal acts, this brief presents and synthesizes the values, principles, organizational forms and policy measures that are subsumed under the SSE.

May 2022

  1. Cooperatives and the World of Work No. 15 - Partnerships between trade unions and the social and solidarity economy to support informal economy workers

    13 May 2022

    This brief documents partnerships between trade unions and the social and the solidarity economy in support of informal economy workers. It is based on a research study that involved a literature review, and an examination of selected partnerships through the development of country case studies in Brazil, Colombia, Kenya and South Africa, and validation of findings with organizations of informal economy workers.

April 2022

  1. Social Protection & Cooperatives Spotlight - Mobilizing social and solidarity economy units towards universal social protection

    29 April 2022

    This ILO Spotlight brief is jointly developed by the Social Protection Department and the Cooperatives Unit in the Enterprises Department. It focuses on mobilizing social and solidarity economy units towards universal social protection. The brief builds on the related section of the Office Report on “Decent work and the social and solidarity economy” prepared for general discussion at the International Labour Conference 110th Session, 2022 (paras 73 et seq.).

March 2022

  1. South Africa’s social and solidarity economy: Alignment of the policy with national, regional and international frameworks

    31 March 2022

    Social economy

  2. South Africa’s social and solidarity economy: An evaluation of the policy development process

    31 March 2022

    Social Economy

  3. South Africa’s social and solidarity economy: A study of its characteristics and conditions

    28 March 2022

    Social Economy

January 2022

  1. Strengthening Social and Solidarity Economy Policy in Asia

    24 January 2022

    This brochure provides an overview of the second phase of the project “Strengthening Social and Solidarity Economy Policy in Asia” which aims to enhance the understanding on the SSE in Asia and the Pacific region and provide technical support to countries to develop SSE policies and/or mainstream SSE in their policies and programmes. The first phase ended in June 2021, and the second phase has been launched in 2022.

  2. Mapping the Social and Solidarity Economy Landscape in Asia Towards an Enabling Policy Environment

    20 January 2022

    This conclusion brief is part of the series “Mapping the Social and Solidarity Economy Landscape in Asia” that presents the SSE landscape for six countries in Asia, policy challenges and preliminary pathways for strengthening SSE in the region. The research is part of the ILO project “Strengthening Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) Policy in Asia,” implemented in partnership with the Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency (KoSEA) and supported by the Korean Ministry of Employment and Labour (MOEL).