Resources on cooperatives

  1. 12th Academy on Social and Solidarity Economy - Plenary Session 5: The importance of statistical instruments in measuring the SSE

    10 January 2022

  2. 12th Academy on Social and Solidarity Economy - Elective 1: Promoting fundamental principles and rights at work in the SSE

    29 November 2021

    The electives of the SSE Academy were designed for practitioners from around the world to share and discuss practices, ideas and models for SSE action in specific fields. The first elective 1 took place on 16, 17 and 18 November 2021. It focused on the promotion of fundamental principles and rights at work in the Social and Solidarity Economy. It was available for participants in English, French and Spanish.

  3. Cooperatives in Americas

    22 December 2020

    As part of the ILO COOP 100 photo exhibitions, the ILO is featuring the contributions of cooperatives and the wider SSE to advancing decent work and sustainable development. The tenth in the series of slideshows highlights cooperative action in the Americas.

  4. Cooperative Principle 5: Education, Training, and Information

    08 December 2020

    The sixth in the series of slideshows highlights cooperative principle five on education training and information. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

  5. ILO COOP 100 Interview with Colombia Pérez Muñoz, Director of the Institute of Social Economy and Co-operativism INDESCO - Cooperative University of Colombia

    28 October 2020

    Established in March 1920, the ILO’s Cooperatives Unit marks its Centenary in 2020. On this occasion, the ILO COOP 100 Interview series features past and present ILO colleagues and key partners who were closely engaged in the ILO's work on cooperatives and the wider social and solidarity economy (SSE). The interviews reflect on their experience and contributions in the past and shares their thoughts on the future of cooperatives and the SSE in a changing world of work.

  6. How cooperatives can help Brazil’s waste pickers build back from COVID-19

    03 July 2020

    This year’s International Day of Cooperatives on 4 July will focus on climate action. Waste pickers’ cooperatives in Brazil are examples of how cooperatives can help combat climate change, while facing the challenges thrown up by the COVID-19 pandemic.

  7. Financial Mechanisms for Innovative Social and Solidarity Economy Ecosystems - Executive Summary

    14 November 2019

    This report presents the results of the “Financial Mechanisms for Innovative Social and Solidarity Economy Ecosystems” project, designed to foster a better understanding of the different ways in which financial resources can be made available and accessed to support the growth of social and solidarity economy (SSE) organizations and their ecosystems. The project is supported by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social and Solidarity Economy of the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

  8. Waste pickers’ cooperatives and social and solidarity economy organizations

    20 August 2019

    Waste pickers make significant contributions to public health, sanitation, and the environment by promoting resource circulation and reducing the amount of landfill. However, they are often not legally recognized as workers and suffer from poor working conditions and lack of social protection. This brief highlights the role of waste pickers' cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy organizations (SSEOs) in integrating and formalizing the work of waste pickers in the recycling value chain and improving their working conditions.

  9. John Bliek, Enterprises Specialist at ILO Office for the Andean Countries

    18 April 2019

    COOP Champions features ILO colleagues from around the world working on cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy enterprises. It highlights their contributions, and shares highlights of their experiences, current work, and future aspirations.

  10. Towards building a coherent strategy of cooperative development in the Andean Region

    27 March 2019

    The ILO has been engaging with cooperatives and rural producers’ organizations in the Andean Region with a view to developing a coherent strategy on cooperative development for decent work in selected countries.