Cooperatives and SMEs are among the core areas of work for the ILO, in pursuing its mandate to achieve social justice and full employment. ILO is the only UN Agency that has a Cooperative unit with a mandate on all types of cooperatives. This unit marked its centenary in 2020 and in recent years works on an expanded portfolio of cooperatives and wider social and solidarity economy. The ILO's activities on cooperatives and wider social and solidarity economy enterprises (SSEs) are guided by the international standard on cooperatives, the Promotion of Cooperatives Recommendation, 2002 (No.193). The recommendation has been used by more than 110 member states since its adoption toward reforming cooperative policies and legislation.

The ILO project on Strengthening Social and Solidarity Economy Policy in Asia (2019-2021) has produced a mapping of SSE policy in six countries in Asia - Japan, Republic of Korea, China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Funded by the Ministry of Employment and Labour (MOEL) of the Republic of Korea, the project aims to enhance the understanding on the SSE in Asia and the Pacific region and provide technical support to countries in need to develop and/or strengthen their SSE policy.

The Ministry for National Development Planning (Bappenas), the ILO along with Bina Swadaya Foundation and the ASEAN Social and Solidarity Economy Council (ASEC) agree to anchor the SSE concept to the Presidential Regulation on National Entrepreneurship, and to provide input on the action plan that will be drafted in near future, in particular for social enterprise/SSE. A national webinar could include best practices from other countries in the region, understanding of SSE concept in more detail, regulatory aspects (existing and incoming), social enterprises & other type of cooperatives outside the traditional understanding of cooperatives.

Speakers

Opening remarks
Destry Anna Sari, Deputy Assistant of Entrepreneurship Deputy, Ministry of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Michiko Miyamoto, Country Director of ILO in Indonesia 

Keynote speaker
Simel Esim, Head of Cooperative Unit, ILO Geneva

Panel discussion

Dr. Ir. Ahmad Dading Gunadi, MA, Director for SMEs and Cooperative, Ministry for National Development Planning (Bappenas)

Dr. Eri Trinurini Adhi, Asian Solidary Economic Council, Yayasan Bina Swadaya

Ir. Ts. Kuhan Pathy, Founder, Social Entrepreneur of Development Association

Jong-tae Yoon, Chief Director, Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency

Ari Sutanti, Senior Programme Manager, British Council Indonesia 

Closing remarks
Kazutoshi Chatani, Employment Specialist, ILO CO-Jakarta

Moderator
Tendy Gunawan, Programme Officer, ILO CO-Jakarta