BANGKOK, Thailand (ILO News) –There is a growing recognition of the role that cooperatives, social enterprises and other social and solidarity economy entities play in fostering sustainable and inclusive development in Asia and the Pacific.

Japan International Labour Foundation and the ILO shared the development and challenges of the social and solidarity economy globally at a knowledge sharing event, held online on 10 October.

Ms Heejin Ahn, Technical Officer of the ILO Cooperatives Unit, presented the ILO’s efforts in strengthening the awareness of stakeholders on the social and solidarity economy and its contribution to decent work and sustainable development in the Asia and the Pacific region.

Good practices on cooperatives development from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand as well as the agreed definition of the social and solidarity economy, included in the Resolution concerning decent work and the social and solidarity economy, adopted at the 110th International Labour Conference in 2022, were shared.

Mr Masami Ohno and Ms Phawarin Chunsam from Japan International Labour Foundation, an organization promoting international exchange and cooperation in the field of labour and industrial relations, presented outcomes of the training using Our.Coop tool with informal workers in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand. Feedback from participants on opportunities and challenges, including limited access to resources, capacity and network, were also discussed at the event.

This event was organized as part of the Building Youth Capacity and Network in Asia Pacific project funded by the Government of Japan and Strengthening the Social and Solidarity Economy in Asia project funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea.

For further information please contact:

Mr Akira Kawasaki
Enterprise Development Officer
ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team – Bangkok
Email: kawasaki@ilo.org

Ms Heejin Ahn
Technical Officer
Cooperatives Unit, Enterprise Department – Geneva, HQ
Email: ahnh@ilo.org