ILO COOP Manager Ms. Esim provided the Members of the two regional government groups with news of the adoption of the United Nations General Assembly resolution on promoting the SSE for sustainable development on April 18, 2023. She pointed out that that the UN Resolution refers to the general discussion held at the 110th International Labour Conference in June 2022, and the subsequent resolution on decent work and the social and solidarity economy. This high-level session, the first of its kind in the UN system, resulted in the adoption of a resolution on decent work and the social and solidarity economy by the ILO’s 187 Member States.

She noted that the UN GA resolution on promoting the social and solidarity economy for sustainable development:

• Encourages Member States to promote and implement national, local and regional strategies, policies and programmes for supporting and enhancing the SSE as a possible model for sustainable economic and social development.
• Encourages relevant entities of the UN development system to give due consideration to the SSE as part of their planning and programming instruments, and as a tool for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Encourages multilateral, international and regional financial institutions and development banks to support the SSE, including through existing and new financial instruments and mechanisms adapted to all stages of development; and
• Requests the UN SG to prepare a report, within existing resources, in collaboration with the UNTFSSE, on the implementation of the present resolution. This is scheduled for next UN GA session.

She then provided the Members of the two regional government groups with an update on the seven-year strategy and action plan on decent work and the social and solidarity economy (2023-29). She also added that the report for this agenda item will be prepared by the UN Task Force on the Social and Solidarity Economy which was co-founded by the ILO in 2013, and the ILO is currently its Vice-Chair. Mr Guy Tchami from ILO COOP also joined the presentation for the Africa government group meeting.

In the subsequent discussion sessions the government representatives asked the ILO how best to request services from the Office on this portfolio including research, projects, tools, and different areas of work. In addition to sharing the relevant materials and encouraging the Members to subscribe to the ILO’s monthly e-newsletter on the portfolio, Ms. Esim pointed to the ILO’s topical pages on cooperatives and the SSE.