The tenth edition of the Mont Blanc Meetings was organized by the SSE International Forum in Cartagena, Colombia this year. It was the first time that the Mont Blanc Meetings took place, in the Americas.

The two-day event included seven selected sub-themes and six self-managed sessions on a range of topics pertaining to the SSE. It brought together policy-makers, practitioners and experts from around the world to discuss the latest trends on the SSE.

Mr. Vic Van Vuuren, Chair of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE) and Director of the Enterprises Department at the International Labour Organization (ILO), participated in the plenary session “The internationalization of the SSE in the framework of the UN Agenda 2030” which took place on Tuesday, October 18, 2022 from 11:00 to 12:00 a.m.

The session was moderated by Mr. Alain Coheur, Co-President of SSE International Forum. Other international experts and policymakers who participated in the event were Ms. Antonella Noya, Head of the Social Economy and Innovation Unit of the Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities of the OECD; Mr. Arnaud Boulanger, Deputy Head of the Social and Solidarity Economy and Impact Investments Unit (PESSII), Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, in charge of the Pact for Impact initiative, France; Mr. Bruno Roelants, Director General of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA); and Ms. Sybille Reichert, Executive Director of the International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies (AIM).

In their interventions, the panelists reflected on the international milestones achieved at the international level in promoting the SSE as a tool for advancing the Agenda 2030. Among the milestones mentioned were the the adoption of the European Union action plan on social economy; the Resolution and conclusions concerning decent work and the SSE at the 110th International Labour Conference (ILC) of the ILO and the Recommendation on the SSE and social innovation by the OECD Council. Updates were also provided on the advancements towards a UN General Assembly resolution on the SSE and sustainable development.

Mr. Van Vuuren spoke about the importance of these milestones toward mainstreaming the role of the SSE as a way to advance the 2030 agenda. He noted these were not only international milestones but had relevance at the regional and national levels especially in terms of promoting conducive policy and institutional environments in developing countries. Mr. Van Vuuren noted that the UNTFSSE, as a platform of UN agencies, civil society organizations and research centers, is committed in creating public awareness on the role of the SSE and the SDGs, as reflected in the UNTFSSE Position Paper 2022. He mentioned that among the different priorities identified in the UNTFSSE action plan 2022-2024, youth engagement and regional outreach and the creation of regional hubs in advancing the SSE portfolio in Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa were key. “SSE ecosystems need to be more integrated and strengthened in order to make a difference in terms of impact on the GDP and social transformation. The value-system that the SSE offers is what the world needs at the international, regional, national levels in order to maintain the promise of Agenda 2030” he concluded.

To watch the full interventions, please click here.