Strengthening the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) Knowledge Base – Phase 2

The Strengthening the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) Knowledge Base – Phase 2 project aims to enhance the global capacity to produce, use and share reliable statistics on cooperatives and the wider SSE. Supported by the Ministry of Employment and Labour of the Republic of Korea, the project is set to run from July 2024 through the end of 2026.

The role of the SSE in advancing decent work, social justice and sustainable development is receiving global recognition. Despite this recognition however, there is not a conducive environment for the SSE to fulfil its potential in many countries. The absence of internationally comparable statistical data has impeded effective policy formulation and monitoring. Phase 1 of the project laid a solid foundation by testing and refining the international guidelines concerning statistics of cooperatives, adopted at the 20th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) in 2018. The first phase of the project conducted five country case studies in Costa Rica, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Tanzania, and Türkiye to understand the applicability of the Guidelines. The country case studies were supported by one global and five national advisory committees. In 2023, these findings were presented and discussed at the 21st ICLS. A proposed roadmap for developing SSE statistical guidelines was also introduced, discussed and agreed upon at the ICLS.

Phase 2 seeks to further augment the capacity to produce, utilize, and share statistics on the SSE and its entities. The project focuses on three primary outcomes: enhancing the ability to produce, use and share statistics on the social and solidarity economy; improving the measurement of cooperatives' economic contributions; and increasing gender- and disability-inclusive engagement, communication and publications related to the SSE statistical knowledge base.

To achieve these objectives, the project will launch and implement a United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE) Technical Working Group on Social and Solidarity Economy Statistics and a Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) Technical Working Group on Measuring the Economic Contribution of Cooperatives. Furthermore, the project will launch a Community of Practice on Cooperative and SSE Statistics and disseminate various knowledge products and communication materials. These efforts contribute to preparing a manual on statistics of cooperatives and guidelines on statistics of the SSE for the 22nd International Conference of Labour Statisticians in 2028.

Ms Simel Esim, the Manager of the Cooperative, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit at the ILO has noted that “the project aims to better measure how decent work, social justice and sustainable development can be advanced in and through the SSE”. Mr Nawon Lee, Specialist on SSE Statistics at the COOP/SSE Unit noted that: “by integrating robust statistical methodologies into national systems and fostering stakeholder collaboration, Phase 2 will aim to ensure lasting impact beyond its duration”.

As this new phase unfolds, stakeholders, policymakers, and practitioners are invited to join in advancing SSE statistics globally. Through improved data and informed policies, the project aspires to strengthen the SSE sector's role in achieving sustainable development goals.