In a move to support the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) sector that has been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has partnered with the Merry Year Foundation, the Social Value and Solidarity Foundation (SVS Fund), and GSEF. In total, 39 projects have been selected, focusing on the revival of economic activity of SSE organizations and enterprises in numerous countries of the Global South. Find below information about the 6 projects implemented by GSEF members! Related Video on COVID-19 Program:  https://youtu.be/vbvXI5nsl3E

GSEF organized a special session around the theme of 'Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals: What Role for Social and Solidarity Economy?' in the framework of the International Conference of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE), which took place from 25-26 June 2019. Detailed information about the program is available here. The session was co-organized by the GSEF and OECD under the title of 'Maximizing Social Impact of SSE for Inclusive Cities through Innovative Partnerships of Local Government', and the following four speakers presented cases from the respective region:  Ms. Ester Vidal (Director of Services for Cooperative, Social and Solidarity Economy, the City Council of Barcelona, Spain) Mr. Joon Hyung Lee (City Councilor, Seoul City Council, Republic of Korea) Mr. Edison Masereka (Manager for Business Development and Research, Kampala Capital City Authority, Uganda) Mr. Byung-hoon Lee (Executive Director, Corporate Social Responsibility Programs, the Hyundai Motor Group).    The session was moderated by Ms. Antonella Noya (Head of Unit, Social Economy and Innovation, OECD). Presentation files from each speaker are attached below.  Ms. Laurence Kwark, Secretary General of GSEF, also delivered opening remarks during the opening session of this Conference where she highlighted the crucial role of the SSE towards the successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An overview of some of the conference highlights is available on International Labour Organization (ILO)'s website and all papers presented at the conference can be found on the UNTFSSE's Knowledge Hub.

Webinar series for the promotion of SSE among the Members of Parliament in Mexico co-organized by INAES and GSEF2021's Local Organizing Committee  The National Institute of Social Economy of Mexico (INAES, el Instituto Nacional de la Economía Social), in collaboration with GSEF and GSEF2021's Local Organizing Committee, organized a series of webinars for the promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) among Members of Parliament in Mexico. This series consisted of 6 webinars organized every Tuesday from 26th May till 30th June under the theme of 'Strategic Discussions: Co-create a New Social and Economic Model for our Society' with the main objectives of raising awareness about the importance of the co-creation of public policies to promote SSE; sharing experiences and knowledge from other countries; and, establish a dialogue between policy makers and SSE actors for future collaborations and partnership. All six sessions included interventions from speakers and various discussants.  Laurence Kwark, Secretary General of GSEF, was invited to speak in the 5th session and shared experiences and her insights about the challenges faced and strategies adopted by local governments and SSE actors in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, including initiatives from GSEF members and partners collected through the ongoing GSEF2021 Preparatory Series of Webinars.    No    Date Topic  Speakers 1 26th May Tuesday  Strategic changes of the social and economic models against COVID-19 Mr. Juan Antonio Pedreño, President of Social Economy Europe and of the Spanish Confederation of Social Economy Enterprises (CEPES) 2 2nd June Tuesday  Social Economy: social inclusion and well-being  Mr. Juan Carlos Urgiles  Mr. Hernán Rodas  3 9th June Tuesday  Social Economy as a vehicle to achieve sustainable development Ms. Maude Brossard-Sabourin, Chantier de l’Économie Sociale, Québec, Canada 4 16th June  Tuesday  Public policies for the Social and Solidarity Economy ecosystems: the role of policy makers Ms. Antonella Noya, OECD  5 23rd June  Tuesday  Social and economic model in the post COVID-19 era: what challenges and how to overcome them? Ms. Laurence Kwark, Secretary General, GSEF 6 30th June  Tuesday  Premise for better governance: public policies for the Social Economy Ms. María Luisa Albores González, Minister of Welfare, Mexico  Mr. Joaquín Pérez Rey, Secretary of Labour and Social Economy, Spain  Ms. Maravillas Espín Sáez, Director General of Autonomous Business of Social Economy and Corporate Social Responsibility, Spain  Ms. Luisa María Alcalde Luján, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Mexico

Following the proposed centenary report of the International Labour Organization (ILO), The ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work 2019, GSEF has issued a position paper to highlight the importance of SSE in the future of work and presented its suggestion of including a strategic direction plan of SSE which should be included in the report. On June 21st, ILO adopted the “ILO Centenary Declaration of the Future of Work 2019” (the Declaration) during its 108th International Labour Conference in which cooperatives and social and solidarity economy were recognized in the final version of the Declaration. The Declaration identifies the challenges ahead with regard to workers’ rights and proposes corresponding solutions in the coming years. GSEF welcomes ILO's commitment to promoting the Social Solidarity Economy (SSE) and cooperatives in the Declaration. GSEF and its members strongly believe that the social and solidarity economy (SSE) contributes to the creation of an inclusive and equitable economy which serves both people and planet. We believe that prioritizing the environment and society over the generation of profit creates an economy that truly serves to foster an inclusive and equitable economy. The final version of the Declaration stated that “the ILO must direct its efforts to supporting the role of the private sector as a principal source of economic growth and job creation by promoting an environment that enables entrepreneurship and sustainable enterprises, in particular micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as cooperatives and the social and solidarity economy, in order to generate decent work, productive employment and improved living standards for all”.