In March 2021, the 341st ILO’s Governing Body decided to place on the agenda of the 110th Session of the International Labour Conference in 2022 an item related to decent work and the social and solidarity economy (SSE) for general discussion. The ILO defines this inclusion as “the first comprehensive discussion on the SSE at the ILO”, and also “the first high-level debate in the UN system around the development potential of the SSE”.
The Report which has been prepared to inform ILO constituents, and SSE partners ahead of the discussion, is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Russian and Spanish. Other language versions of the report, including Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Turkish will follow shortly.
The expected outcomes of the general discussion are conclusions and a resolution to provide further guidance for the Organization. These expected outcomes are to: provide a universal definition of the term ”social and solidarity economy”, including its associated principles and values; assess the contribution of the SSE to decent work and to managing and promoting the overall support for people through the transitions they face throughout their working lives, and provide policy guidelines for Member States wishing to establish a conducive environment for the national SSE;
The Office Report is organized into five chapters, as follows:
Chapter 1 delineates the contours of the SSE around the world, elaborates on the building blocks of the concept and proposes a definition for discussion. It also presents regional overviews of the SSE.
Chapter 2 provides evidence of the contributions of the SSE to the global development priorities defined by the Decent Work Agenda and the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda).
Chapter 3 discusses the relationship of the ILO’s tripartite constituents with the SSE, using examples from around the world.
Chapter 4 describes the Office’s work on the SSE, with a specific focus on historical background, current programmes, development cooperation policy and partnerships and capacity-development activities.
Chapter 5 discusses the way forward in terms of strengthening the contribution of the SSE to decent work and sustainable development. It stresses the importance of promoting a conducive environment for the SSE, discusses the linkages between the SSE and the future of work and proposes avenues for future Office work on the SSE.
The ILC general discussion is expected to take place in June 2022, with the participation of tripartite delegates from 187 member states.
A presentation on the Report is available here in English
Region specific presentations on the Office Report are also available, including Africa, Asia and the Pacific region, the Americas, the Arab States and Europe and Central Asia.
