The Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Benguerir hosted the 5th National Conference on Social and Solidarity Economy on June 17 and 18. The event brought together more than a thousand representatives from Morocco’s Social Economy network, the African Social Economy, international experts, and delegations from numerous countries. These 5th Assises featured strong institutional presence from the Moroccan government and were chaired by the Prime Minister, Aziz Akhannouch, alongside the Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Social and Solidarity Economy, Fatim Zahra Ammor, and the Secretary of State for Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, M. Lahcen Saadi, who demonstrated the Kingdom of Morocco’s firm commitment to promoting the Social Economy.
The event brought together more than 1,000 participants from various backgrounds: representatives of institutional departments, regional and local authorities, leaders of cooperatives, associations, mutual organizations and social enterprises, academics, as well as international partners and experts from Africa, such as Gabon and Mauritania, Europe — with a strong presence from Spain and France — Latin America, and Asia. The conference coincided with an important moment, marked by the legislative process of the Social and Solidarity Economy Bill led by the Moroccan government.
The 5th Conference was structured around the theme: “Social and Solidarity Economy and Territorial Development: Towards a New Dynamic of Converging Public Policies.” The importance of integrating the territorial dimension into public policies related to the SSE was emphasized, as well as the need for coordinated action to build a strong ecosystem based on the convergence of efforts, particularly through the creation of territorial clusters specialized in this field.
The program included a series of plenary sessions and thematic seminars, including a Ministerial Conference focused on public policies, as well as discussions on key topics such as SSE financing, digitalization, governance, the inclusion of youth and women, social innovation, the development of local value chains, and the social protection of social economy actors.
As part of these 5th Assises, a professional fair was also held, bringing together numerous stands representing Moroccan and African cooperatives, public and private institutions, opportunities for bilateral meetings between stakeholders (B2B and B2C), along with interactive workshops, academic sessions, and masterclasses to foster the exchange of experiences and knowledge.
Main recommendations and conclusions of the 5th edition of Les Assises de l’ESS
The Congress concluded with the presentation of recommendations and concrete proposals emerging from the various discussions. Among the 28 recommendations aimed at promoting the SSE in Morocco, several stood out, aligned with the upcoming Social and Solidarity Economy Law: updating the goals and mechanisms of the ten-year SSE strategy; accelerating the adoption of a modern, coherent legislative and regulatory framework capable of turning the social and solidarity economy into a true driver of development; providing the necessary resources to create 50,000 additional jobs in the sector in the coming years; establishing a favorable tax and customs regime adapted to the sector’s specificities; facilitating access to finance for SSE organizations through mechanisms tailored to their needs; integrating SSE into educational programs through the creation of specialized training pathways and certified training centers; and promoting the creation of regional SSE clusters in collaboration with territorial authorities, particularly regional governments.
