Conclusions on decent work and the social and solidarity economy adopted at the 110th International Labour Conference

The tripartite ILO Constituents deliberated for ten days to reach the Conclusions on decent work and the social and solidarity economy.

News | 13 June 2022
On June 10, 2022, the International Labour Conference adopted the Resolution and Conclusions of the General Discussion Committee on decent work and the social and solidarity economy (SSE). During the deliberations, the ILO Constituents recognized that a robust SSE could contribute to balanced, inclusive, resilient and sustainable economies and societies.

This general discussion was the first comprehensive deliberation on the social and solidarity economy at the International Labour Conference. It is also the first high-level debate in the UN system on the subject. Although the social and solidarity economy is not new, its policy importance and visibility have grown significantly since the turn of the century.

The Report, Resolutions and Conclusions from the Committee were a result of 10 days of deliberations that took place in three segments. During the first segment on May 30 and 31, 2022, the delegates concentrated on four points for discussion based on the Office Report. The four points were discussed during four sittings across two days and focused on:
  • What should be a universal definition of the social and solidarity economy?
  • How can the social and solidarity economy contribute to decent work and sustainable development?
  • What can governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations do to promote the SSE’s contribution to human-centred recovery?
  • What actions can the ILO take to promote the social and solidarity economy?
Based on these two days of deliberations, the Office prepared and submitted tentative conclusions for review and revision by a Drafting Group. Consisting of a smaller segment of delegates, the drafting group deliberated on the tentative conclusions provided by the Office. It developed its draft conclusions during the second segment of the Committee’s work. The Drafting Group proposed to the Committee a set of draft conclusions for discussion that reflected the deliberations of the Committee. The draft conclusions of the drafting committee were shared with the full Committee. The full committee delegates provided a set of amendments on June 4, 2022.

Representative of the Secretary General
The third segment of the General Discussion Committee started on June 6, 2022, to review the amendments to the draft conclusions. The tripartite delegates deliberated in the true spirit of social dialogue on the amendments and arrived upon a set of Conclusions on June 9, 2022. The Conclusions reflect the roles that SSE entities can perform. They underline the potential of the social and the solidarity economy to uplift persons facing vulnerable situations, including women, youth and persons with disabilities. The Conclusions are structured as follows:
  • Part I, entitled “Introduction”, recalls the links between the social and solidarity economy and the ILO by directly referencing the ILO Constitution, including the Declaration of Philadelphia, relevant international labour standards and declarations that explicitly recognize the importance of the social and solidarity economy in its various forms, in promoting sustainable development, decent work, productive employment and improved living standards for all.
  • Part II provides a clear and comprehensive “Definition of the SSE” based on a set of values and principles. This is the first agreed tripartite definition of the social and solidarity economy at the international level.
  • Part III spells out the “Guiding principles to address challenges and opportunities” to promote decent work and the social and solidarity economy for a human-centred future of work.
  • Part IV explains “The role of governments and the social partners” in fostering the social and solidarity economy’s economic, social and environmental contributions.
  • Part V, entitled “The role of the ILO”, provides recommendations for Office action and key principles that underpin such action.
  •  An Annex to these Conclusions provides a “Non-exhaustive list of instruments of the International Labour Organization and the United Nations relevant to decent work and the social and solidarity economy”.
Speakers from the Committee who presented at this Plenary included: the Employers Vice-Chairperson, Ms Aline Valérie Mbono from Cameroon, the Workers Vice-Chairperson, Ms Toni Moore from Barbados, Rapporteur for the Committee, Mr Colin Jordan, the Minister of Labour of Barbados, and Chairperson of the Committee, Mr Adam Lee from the USA. The Conclusions provide sufficient guidance to the Constituents and the Office on the promotion of decent work in and through the SSE for years to come. They will be disseminated widely. They will also be turned into an Office-wide strategy and work plan.

For more information on the work of the General Discussion Committee, see here.

A summary of the proceedings from the General Discussion Committee of the 110th International Labour Conference on decent work and the social and solidarity economy is also available in English, Spanish and French.

A presentation on the general discussion and the conclusions in available in English, French, and Spanish.