Regional Forum
The ILO strengthens its commitment to the social and solidarity economy in Ibero-America
The ILO took part in a regional event in Bolivia that brought together representatives from 18 countries to promote public policies and mechanisms that strengthen the social and solidarity economy.
11 September 2025
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia (ILO News) – From 8 to 12 September 2025, the International Labour Organization (ILO) participated in the Ibero-American Forum on the Social and Solidarity Economy, held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. The event gathered over 50 representatives from governments, international organizations and civil society organizations from 18 Ibero-American countries, with the aim of promoting decent work, social inclusion and sustainable development through the social and solidarity economy (SSE).
During the forum, the ILO emphasized the transformative role of the SSE in building more resilient, inclusive and sustainable economies. As noted in a recent brief on the ILO's work on the SSE in Latin America and the Caribbean (2025), the SSE helps generate decent jobs, strengthen local economies and promote social cohesion based on democratic and solidarity-based principles.
The ILO’s participation included technical contributions on financial frameworks, statistics, and formalization strategies in rural areas. In the session on financial instruments, Virginia Rose Losada, Specialist in Enterprises, Cooperatives and Rural Development at the ILO Office for the Andean Countries, stressed the importance of improving access to financial services for SSE entities. "Mechanisms such as tailored guarantees, crowdfunding, complementary currencies, and solidarity-based financial associations have been introduced," she noted, adding that "these innovations must be supported by clear regulatory frameworks, social protection and democratic governance."
On efforts to improve SSE statistics, Rodrigo Mogrovejo, Specialist in Sustainable Enterprises, Just Transition and Skills Development at the ILO Office for Central America, Haiti, Panama and the Dominican Republic, pointed out the absence of a standardized global statistical system. He noted that ILO (2022) and United Nations (2023 and 2024) resolutions have laid the groundwork for a common conceptual framework. Work is currently underway to develop international guidelines by 2028, following discussions at the 21st International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS, 2023). "Robust statistics on the SSE will enable measurement of social, economic and environmental impacts, and attract socially-oriented investment," he said.
Efraín Quicaña, Regional Specialist in Rural Economy, Productive Development and Formalization at the ILO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighted the role of the SSE in the transition from the informal to the formal economy. This is being achieved through the strengthening of strategies aimed at formalizing SSE entities and workers, especially in rural areas and in sectors such as care, agriculture, construction and housing. He stressed that the self-organization of workers into cooperatives, associations, mutuals and other SSE entities constitutes a structural pathway towards formalization. "The SSE enables the shift from the informal economy to organized forms of decent work, strengthening the resilience of traditionally excluded communities," he stated. To consolidate this process, he underlined the need for enabling legal frameworks, appropriate incentives and technical assistance, integrated into comprehensive formalization strategies and policies that address key areas such as productive development, employment, social protection, incentives and oversight.
The forum also addressed key aspects for strengthening the organization, representation and actions of the Ibero-American Network for the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy (RIFESS). Its Executive Coordinator, Sebastián Garaviño, representing the Government of Colombia, highlighted that "RIFESS constitutes a historic opportunity to institutionalize the SSE in Ibero-American public policies."
The forum included the participation of regional and international organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy – Latin America and the Caribbean (RIPESS-LAC), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the International Centre of Research and Information on the Public, Social and Cooperative Economy (CIRIEC), and the Ibero-American Observatory on Employment and the Social and Cooperative Economy (OIBESCOOP). It was organized through the Intercoonecta programme, coordinated by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), together with the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Economy, the Andalusian Agency for International Development Cooperation (AACID) and the Andalusian School of Social Economy (EAES).
The ILO’s contributions converged on a clear message: for the SSE to unleash its full potential, inclusive financial mechanisms, comparable information and statistical systems and strong territorial strategies are needed, in collaboration with constituents and key SSE actors at the regional and global levels. This comprehensive approach aligns with the Resolution concerning decent work and the social and solidarity economy (2022) and with the ILO’s regional strategic vision, reaffirming its commitment to decent work and sustainable development in Ibero-America.