Mozambique and ILO spotlight Social and Solidarity Economy in national policy dialogue

MAPUTO, Mozambique (ILO News) – The Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Action, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), convened a national workshop on 19 May 2025 in Maputo to explore the role of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) in Mozambique. The event brought together ILO constituents, including public institutions, cooperatives, producer associations, and technical experts to discuss opportunities and challenges for institutionalizing SSE as part of Mozambique’s inclusive development efforts.

The opening session featured interventions from the Ministry and the ILO, setting the stage for a day of policy dialogue, technical presentations, and national and international experience sharing.

In the first technical session, Anita Amorim, Head of the Emerging and Special Partnerships Unit at the ILO, highlighted the contribution of the SSE to sustainable development, the transition to a green economy, and decent work. Drawing on the ILO’s normative mandate and experience facilitating South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC), she emphasized the value of mutual learning among countries of the Global South. Natalie Laechelt, Technical Officer at the Cooperative, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit of the ILO, presented the ILO’s approach to supporting the development of a conducive environment for the SSE. Her intervention reflected the principles and values set out in ILO Recommendation No. 193 concerning the Promotion of Cooperatives and the 2022 International Labour Conference resolution on Decent Work and the SSE. She highlighted key ILO capacity development tools, including Think.COOP, Start.COOP, My.Coop and Manage.COOP. In the subsequent Q&A session, Guy Tchami, Technical Specialist in Cooperative Policy and Research at the Cooperative, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit of the ILO, also delved into opportunities for strategy development on the SSE aligned with the African Union’s Ten-Year Strategy on the Social and Solidarity Economy.

Participants then reviewed the findings of a national diagnostic study on the SE in Mozambique, which mapped the landscape of cooperatives, associations, and community-based initiatives operating in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and services. The study identified challenges including limited access to finance and markets, a lack of legal recognition, and low institutional coordination. It also pointed to the alignment of SSE with Mozambique’s National Development Strategy (ENDE 2025-2044) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to decent work, rural transformation, and social protection.

The second half of the workshop focused on national practices and policy needs. Representatives from the Modern Cooperative Movement and the Forum of Cotton Producers (Cooperative of Netia) shared grassroots experiences in organising and sustaining SSE initiatives. Their interventions underlined the importance of local leadership, training, and institutional support to enable SSE actors to thrive.

Participants also took part in group work sessions to reflect on priorities for SSE development in Mozambique, including the need for a legal framework, capacity-building, coordination across ministries, and financing mechanisms.

In the afternoon, a virtual presentation by Sérgio Godoi, Director of Projects at the Ministry of Labour’s National Secretariat for Solidarity Economy of Brazil, offered insights into Brazil’s national strategy to support SSE. He presented key elements of the country’s legal and institutional framework, including Law No. 15.068 of December 2024, which established the National Policy on Solidarity Economy and created the National System for Solidarity Economy (SINAES).

Godoi emphasized how solidarity economy initiatives in Brazil promote sustainable development and decent work through self-managed models and fair-trade systems. He highlighted that as of 2013, Brazil registered over 19,700 solidarity economy enterprises across 2,700 municipalities, involving more than one million people, with strong participation of women. He also shared current strategies including budgetary reinforcement for SSE promotion, national fairs and public procurement access, integration with universities and incubators, and the Paul Singer Programme to train 500 local agents in 300 territories. Brazil’s experience was presented as an illustrative example of how diverse strategies can support the creation of a conducive environment for the SSE in alignment with international labour standards and UN development frameworks.

The event closed with remarks from the representative of the Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Action, which welcomed the participatory dialogue and emphasized the government’s interest in advancing a national strategy and institutional instruments for SSE development in line with international labour standards. The ILO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Mozambique’s efforts through technical assistance, peer learning, and multilateral cooperation.