The 5th Technical Symposium of the United Nations Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE) took place on 4 and 5 December in Murcia, Spanish Capital of Social Economy 2025, co-organised by the UNTFSSE, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Economy, CEPES, the Region of Murcia and UCOMUR. The Forum brought together representatives of the Task Force’s member organisations, belonging to some twenty UN agencies, as well as representatives of observer entities, including Social Economy Europe and CIRIEC-International. This is the first time that this Forum has been held in Spain, positioning it as a global centre for the social economy.
During the meeting, it became clear that although in recent years the social economy ecosystem has achieved important milestones and recognition at global and regional level, ‘2025 has been a very different year’, warned Sarah de Heusch, director of Social Economy Europe (SEE), who added: ‘We are experiencing a war of values that is affecting democracy and solidarity and, as a result, the importance of the social economy is being relegated to the background.’
Along the same lines, Juan Antonio Pedreño, president of SEE, CEPES and Ucomur, expressed his concern about the loss of priority given to social policies in Europe, especially in the drafts of the new EU Budget 2028-2034. He stressed the need to maintain and further develop measures such as the Common Agricultural Policy and, in particular, to safeguard the continuity of the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and InvestEU, ‘which are essential for preserving employment, reducing inequalities and ensuring that the social economy continues to strengthen competitiveness and growth in all European regions’.
Simel Esim (Head of the ILO’s Cooperatives, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit and Chair of the UNTFSSE) echoed these concerns, warning that “although recognition of the social economy has increased, it remains uneven at the systemic level. Greater consistency is needed in planning and programming; the Social and Solidarity Economy must be recognised as a stable, long-term partner, not only in times of crisis.”
The example of the Social Economy in Spain
The event was also an opportunity to highlight Spain’s role as an international benchmark in the promotion of the Social Economy, as it is the only country in Europe with a Ministry dedicated to the Social Economy and two national Social Economy strategies.
Jaime Iglesias, Special Commissioner for the Social Economy of the Spanish Government, shared his ambition to strengthen the presence of the social economy in all international forums, promoting initiatives such as the Ibero-American Network for the Promotion of the Solidarity Economy, the integration of the social economy into the statistical systems of the UN and the EU, and the establishment of social economy units in all United Nations agencies. At the European level, he suggested a European Directive on the Social and Solidarity Economy.
Reducing the knowledge gap
The discussions also highlighted some of the main challenges that the Social Economy has historically faced. Participants agreed that visibility remains a major obstacle. In this regard, Barbara Sak, Director of CIRIEC-International, pointed out that well-documented communication is a high priority, ‘but we don’t need to convince those of us already sitting in this meeting; we need to go out, identify different audiences and define our priorities. If people believe that the social economy can improve their well-being and create jobs, we can convince them’.
This reflection is particularly relevant in light of data from the special Eurobarometer on the Social Economy, which shows that 9 out of 10 Europeans support the values of the Social Economy, although they are not always aware of its definition, entities, scope and potential.
Annual symposiums
The debates at the Task Force’s technical symposium form the core of its biennial Action Plan and serve to identify the most relevant issues addressed in the reports of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the global social and solidarity economy.
The United Nations General Assembly has already approved two resolutions on SSE, which are historic milestones in recognising the Social and Solidarity Economy as an essential vector for achieving the 2030 Agenda and integrating sustainable development strategies.
However, as Simel Esim pointed out, ‘We have two UN resolutions on the Social Economy, but we must focus on their implementation and do so with ambition. We know that we are facing difficult times, but we will emerge from this stronger and more united.’
