The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted, at the request of Spain, the first Resolution on the Social and Solidarity Economy

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has welcomed this new United Nations resolution and is also a co-founder of the United Nations Working Group on Social and Solidarity Economy, founded in 2013.

Social and solidarity economy entities put people and social goals before the profits of the entities, being a driving force for decent work and promoting equality, while focusing on the protection of the environment and helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGO).

The social and solidarity economy refers to enterprises and organisations (cooperatives, social mutuals, associations, foundations and social enterprises) that produce goods, services and knowledge that address the needs of the community they serve, with the aim of achieving specific social and environmental objectives and fostering solidarity.

The resolution now adopted by the General Assembly, formally defines social and solidarity economy and also:

• It calls on UN member states to promote and implement national, local and regional strategies, policies and programmes to support and enhance the social and solidarity economy as a potential model for sustainable economic and social development through, inter alia, the development of specific legal frameworks, tax incentives, inclusion in educational programmes, support for enterprises and in policy-making.
• Promotes that entities belonging to the United Nations development system, including United Nations country teams, give due attention to the social and solidarity economy as part of their planning and programming instruments, in particular the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework; and also encourages financial institutions to support its development.
• Requests the Secretary-General to prepare a report, within existing resources, in collaboration with the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy, on the implementation of this resolution.

From the ILO's side, the commitment to the social and solidarity economy is absolute, as it is a key instrument in the promotion of democracy, social justice and the creation of decent work. The social and solidarity economy for the future of people-centred work was already the subject of general discussion at the 110th Session of the International Labour Conference in 2022, which resulted in the Resolution on decent work and the social and solidarity economy of 10 June 2022, and the ILO has also promoted its promotion in the United Nations System, in particular through normative action.