The UN Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE) held its 41st regular meeting

The 41st UNTFSSE meeting was held virtually on 07 December 2022. It brought together around 50 participants from seven member (ILO, UNRISD, ECLAC, UNDP, UNDESA, UNCTAD and OECD), eleven observer organizations (Catalyst2030, CIRIEC, CSEND, EMES, EURICSE, DIESIS, GSEF, Euclid Network, ICA, SSE International Forum, RIPESS) and two resource persons.

News | 20 December 2022
The meeting started with a review of the priority objectives of the UNTFSSE. The coordinators from the ILO, UNCTAD and UNRISD shared updates on each of the three priority areas of the UNTFSSE workplan 2022-2024.

Reflections on mainstreaming and enhancing the international dimensions of the SSE were shared. This included recent updates on the process leading to a UN resolution on the SSE and sustainable development and the upcoming Multi-stakeholder meeting “How can the international recognition of SSE help achieve the SDGs through social and inclusive innovation?” which is planned at the UN Headquarters in New York on December 13th.

A brief overview of the ILO’s seven-year Strategy and Action Plan (SAP) on Decent Work and the SSE (2023-29), endorsed by its 346th Governing Body (GB) session in November, was presented. This SAP was developed to implement the Resolution and conclusions concerning decent work and the SSE that were adopted at the 110th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in June.

It was also noted, UNTFSSE member OECD held a kick-off meeting for the Implementation of the OECD Recommendation for the Social and Solidarity Economy and Social Innovation” on 16 November, following the adoption of the OECD Recommendation on the SSE and social innovation in June 2022.

Updates on the ongoing and future activities of the Knowledge Hub and the SSE Encyclopedia were shared, along with information on the UNTFSSE Position Paper: Advancing the 2030 Agenda through the Social and Solidarity Economy.

During the meeting, it was announced by the ILO and ITC-ILO that a new project, funded by the Government of Luxemburg, is starting in order to prepare and launch the first global awareness-raising package on the SSE. A presentation of the current communication strategy of the UNTFSSE was given, including the tools on sharing relevant information on events, projects and publications.

The meeting continued with the updates on regional activities of the UNTFSSE. In particular, events in the Asia and the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean regions were presented. The session on “Accelerating Progress toward the SDGs through the SSE”, is taking place in a hybrid format on 14 December 2022 in Bangkok as part of the Business Innovation for SDGs Forum, organized by the ESCAP. A webinar on “Trabajo decente y ESS en América Latina y el Caribe: Avances y desafíos a partir de la Resolución de la 110ª CIT de la OIT”, is organized by ECLAC, ILO, RIPESS within the framework of the task force on December 8th.

As part of the round of updates, the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS) provided information on its history and ongoing work on the SSE.

The meeting concluded with the ILO handing over the Presidency of the task force to UNCTAD, while keeping the Vice-presidency and Secretariat responsibilities.