The 1st Policy Dialogue on Social and Solidarity Economy in the Latin American and Caribbean Region was held on December 9, 2019 as sessions co-organized by GSEF and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) during the 19th Conference of the International Observatory of Participatory Democracy (OIDP) in Iztapalapa, Mexico.  The 19th OIDP Conference organized by the Mayor's Office of Iztapalapa is the reference event on participatory democracy worldwide intending to promote the role of cities in strengthening democracy. This conference also represents an opportunity to boost cooperation between cities and international organizations in the field of democratic innovations.   [[{"fid":"3680","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false,"external_url":""},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false,"external_url":""}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"1"}}]] GSEF organizes policy dialogues on the social and solidarity economy (SSE) at the continental level in order to provide opportunities to foster discussions, debates, and exchanges on the current important issues of the sector with all invited actors at the regional level. This year, GSEF organized policy dialogues in Africa (Bamako, April), in Asia (Seoul, October), and in Europe (Liverpool, November) where all the participants exchanged experiences and knowledge and established collaboration networks. These dialogues were also an opportunity to promote GSEF2020, GSEF´s biannual forum to be held in Mexico City in 2020. The main objectives of this 1st LAC Policy Dialogue were: To foster the creation of alliances through GSEF sessions and other networking events with UCLG member cities to allow a better understanding of the role of the Social and Solidarity Economy in current development frameworks; To network with new potential members and partners in the Latin American region and to promote the social and solidarity economy and its important contribution to the localization and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); To provide a space for debates and mutual learning of experiences toward a sustainable and inclusive local development through the social and solidarity economy; To promote the upcoming GSEF2020 Mexico City. Speakers from Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay were invited to participate in this Dialogue in collaboration with the National Institute of Social Economy of Mexico (INAES) and the UCLG Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy & Human Rights Commission.    The Social and Solidarity Economy is very important to guarantee social and economic rights of all citizens. SSE is a strategy for social inclusion and the transformation of our societies. We appreciate the passion, dedication and support you have all shown, and we would like to invite you to our next biannual forum, GSEF2020 Mexico City. Closing remarks of Laurence Kwark, Secretary General of GSEF The presentations and summary of the sessions will be shared soon on this page.    * For more information, please visit the website of the OIDP Conference.

Theme: Building diversity and inclusion through the social and solidarity economy      Venue: The Women’s Association, Liverpool, United Kingdom Building on the previous Europe Policy Dialogue that looked at peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development through the SSE, the 3rd edition of the Europe Policy Dialogue took place in Liverpool, United Kingdom, around the theme ‘Building diversity and inclusion through the social and solidarity economy’. It was organized by GSEF in partnership with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) and the University of Liverpool.   [[{"fid":"3600","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false,"external_url":""},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"5":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false,"external_url":""}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"5"}}]] This event gathered local governments, civil society organizations, EU experts and activists from all over the United Kingdom and Europe to discuss how to action ideas about diversity, marginalisation and inclusion through the SSE. Panellists included Kenny Clewett, Director, Hello Europe; Lynn Collins, Strategic Relations and Engagement Advisor, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, United Kingdom; Apostolos Ioakimidis, Social cooperative Wind of Renewal, Greece; Filareti Paka, European Projects' Communication Manager, Institute of Entrepreneurship Development (iED); Christiane Ram, Head, Office of Economic Development, City of Mannheim, Germany; Dražen Šimleša, Green Network of Activist Groups (ZMAG), General Coordinator of the International Network for the Promotion of Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS) EU; and, Derek Walker, Chief Executive, Wales Co-operative Centre (WCC), United Kingdom. The theme of building diversity and inclusion in our economies takes on added importance as the rise in wealth inequalities within nations has intensified. Many existing problems, such as economic insecurity, homelessness, care for the elderly and general wellbeing have a common cause. We see also a huge rise in population shifts as war, hunger and drought have led to people losing their home with some estimates suggesting more than 1% of the total global population has been forced to move out of their home country. As a result of such global problems diversity and inclusion have become more important to local economies. Many SSE organisations are better placed to challenge these problems. They are to be found in those communities where the market has failed or where the state has been cut back, working with local people who are often on the margins of society, or who have been openly discriminated against through structures of inequality. However, SSE organisations across Europe face many similar challenges. For example, where will the new leaders come from? How can they access resources and become more sustainable? How do they bring into the whole economy social justice, diversity and democracy? Can they influence policy change? These questions were posed and discussed by participants at this year’s Europe Policy Dialogue. The speakers shared their experiences and ideas on the following topics: Local governments advancing approaches for genuine inclusion Moving beyond inclusion through innovative work-integration practices and policies Social and Solidarity Economy: a driving force in enabling diverse future leaders Below is a visual summary of the discussions that took place, and the highlights report is available in the download section of this page! [[{"fid":"4149","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false,"external_url":""},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"6":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false,"external_url":""}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"6"}}]]  Participants also had the opportunity to visit SSE organisations and enterprises all over Liverpool, including the Kuumba Imani Millenium Centre, Baltic Creative CIC, and Homebaked.   Europe Policy Dialogue meetings are part of a long-running regional dialogue series, which aims to identify ways forward for developing inter-regional partnerships and cooperation based on an international, innovative and supportive approach. Past meetings took place in Asia (Seoul in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018; Hong Kong in 2016), Europe (Archamps in 2017; Madrid in 2018) and Africa (Bilbao in 2018; Bamako in 2019).

GSEF joined the efforts to facilitate the regional policy dialogues in Asia since its establishment in 2014. With partners including the British Council and AVPN, the GSEF holds an Asia Policy Dialogues every year with the belief that the role of policy to nurture social economy for more inclusive and sustainable local development is significant.   As a part of the continuous effort, in the year of 2019, GSEF organized the Asia Policy Dialogue (APD)  to provide a space for open discussion and mutual learning for government officials with SSE actors and specialists and to expand the impact of SSE as an innovative strategy to achieve SDGs at the local level.   This year, APD 2019 gathered more than 30 participants including government officials, SSE intermediaries, and SSE actors from 9 countries to discuss about the experience of implementing Social and Solidarity Economy in their country or city. Although the contexts of the participants’ cities are different in terms of size, population, economy and level of development, they are facing similar problems due to urbanization and rapid economic development which neglects the environmental and social factors. The first two sessions focused on the experience of governments to utilize Social and Solidarity Economy to create an inclusive and sustainable economy. They all agree that SSE can be an option to improve the wellbeing of their citizens and protect the nature in the process of development. During the presentations, some countries and cities have indicated that a clear strategic plan to develop SSE for achieving will be implemented in the coming years. However, public awareness and support are indispensible in facilitating the implementation of a robust SSE. In the last session of the APD, SSE intermediaries were invited to talk about their experience in nurturing SSE with different expertise including capacity building, networking and impact investment. They shared the same idea that government support including legal framework and subsidy cannot be regarded as the sole subsistence of the SSE actors since government support is not durable under the economic fluctuations and rotation of government leadership. At the same time, bureaucracy may hinder creativity in managing SSE. An ecosystem for SSE is necessary to maintain SSE industry sustainable.   You may click here for all the PPT presentations during the APD.     Date:  October 30 (Wed) 2019 Venue: Seoul City Hall (Seosomun Complex, 13th Floor)

Theme: Social and Solidarity Economy for a controlled and inclusive urbanization of African cities      Venue: Bamako, Mali Following the inaugural edition organized in conjunction with GSEF2018 in Bilbao, the 2nd edition of the Africa Policy Dialogue took place in Bamako, Mali, around the theme "Social and Solidarity Economy for a controlled and inclusive urbanization of African cities". It was organized by GSEF in partnership with the City of Bamako, the National Network for the Promotion of Social and Solidarity Economy of Mali (RENAPESS), the African Network for Social and Solidarity Economy (RAESS), and the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF). [[{"fid":"3265","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false,"external_url":""},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false,"external_url":""}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"1"}}]] This event gathered local governments and civil society organizations from about ten West African countries to discuss and undertake a deeper analysis of the key role social and solidarity economy can play in local economic development strategies, and towards building inclusive and sustainable cities. Panellists include Albert Anicet Akoa, Vice President, United Councils and Cities of Cameroon (CVUC); Harouna Arzika, Permanent Secretary, Association of Municipalities of Niger; Adjara Diouf, Program Specialist, International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF); Pascal Duforestel, Member of the Regional Council of Nouvelle-Acquitaine in charge of social and solidarity economy, France; Ichemkhou Eleydou, Regional Councillor, Nouakchott, Mauritania; Kémi Fakambi and Marx Abidji, Bénin Entreprendre Solidaire avec son Territoire (B’EST) program; Carlos de Freitas, Director of Programs, Global Fund for Cities Development (FMDV); Séverin Komi d'Alveida, Deputy Mayor, Cotonou, Benin; Adama Sangaré, Mayor of Bamako, Mali; Bourahima Sanou, Mayor of Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso; and, Camara Aminata Touré, Executive Vice President, National Association of Guinean Municipalities (ANCG).  In recent years, the significance and scale of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) has increased in African countries. The contribution of SSE, which allows local development through tapping into existing knowledge and the potential of territories while answering citizens’ real needs, is being increasingly recognized. However, there are still barriers to the development of this alternative economic model. What state of play of SSE can be drawn up in West Africa? How can SSE contribute to local economic development and social inclusion in territories in which it is implemented? What can be done to better promote and enhance SSE, and share good practices in this area? How to develop a regulatory framework to increase the inclusion of this economic model in implementing public policies at local and national levels? These are some of the questions that were examined in this dialogue meeting. The speakers shared their experiences and ideas, and addressed key issues cities in Africa are facing: Controlled urbanization of African cities: responses from the social and solidarity economy The role of local governments in promoting the social and solidarity economy Social entrepreneurship as a lever for local economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa What strategic partnerships for the development of sustainable SSE ecosystems towards developing inclusive cities? The highlight of this Dialogue was the endorsement by all participants of the Bamako Declaration, which will serve as a road map for the development of the social and solidarity economy across the African continent and lays out specific recommendations to local and national governments and SSE actors towards this objective. Africa Policy Dialogue meetings are part of a long-running regional dialogue series, which aims to identify ways forward for developing inter-regional partnerships and cooperation based on an international, innovative and supportive approach. Past meetings took place in Asia (Seoul in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018; Hong Kong in 2016) and Europe (Archamps in 2017; Madrid in 2018).   Media & Resources French Network of Social Economy Territories (RTES): Deuxième Dialogue Afrique du GSEF Photos of the event Press release from the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) (in French only) Video presentation of the Policy Dialogue in Bamako (courtesy of OIF)

Theme: Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for a sustainable development through Social and Solidarity Economy Date & time: 7 November, from 11:00-13:00 Venue: CINETECA Plató, Matadero, Madrid, Spain Through collaborations between social economy organizations and local governments, GSEF pursues the creation of quality jobs, fair growth, the progress of grassroots democracy and sustainable development. This GSEF Session, which will also be our 2nd Europe Policy Dialogue, will link both themes of achieving peace and sustainable development through SSE. The program is available below. This 2nd Europe Policy Dialogue is organized as a thematic session in the framework of the 2nd World Forum on Urban Violence and Education for Coexistence and Peace (5-8 November 2018, Madrid, Spain).    Background The Global Social Economy Forum (GSEF) brings together efforts from local governments and Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) organizations and networks for partnership and collaboration at the global level. In 2017, the 1st Europe Policy Dialogue (EPD) was organized by GSEF in Archamps, France as first of its kind as an open space inviting European members and partners as well as civil society actors from the sector. In 2018, to continue the momentum and build on important discussions around social policy and practices in Europe, GSEF plans to organize its 2nd Europe Policy Dialogue. In 2018, from the 1st to 3rd of October, GSEF organized its 4th Global Social Economy Forum in Bilbao (Spain) where more than 1,700 participants from 84 countries gathered and discussed the value of the social economy under the theme of 'Values and competitiveness for an inclusive and sustainable local development'. This was organized through plenary sessions, workshops and networking sessions by inviting city/local and central governments, social economy actors and networks, and universities and researchers. 

Theme: Decent Work and Entrepreneurship for Social and Labour Inclusion in Africa     Date & time: 2 October 2018, 10:30am-12:30pm (2h) Venue: Conference Hall E, Euskalduna The 1st Africa Policy Dialogue (AfPD) - organised by GSEF as a side event to GSEF2018 - was held on 2 October in Bilbao  on the theme Decent work and Entrepreneurship for Social and Labour Inclusion in Africa. The Africa Policy Dialogue (AfPD) invited African local governments and civil society organisations to share and connect ideas from each part. Thirteen speakers, including Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi (UCLG Africa), Mr. Ronald Balimwezo (Mayor of the Nakawa Division, Kampala, Uganda) and Mr. Fabrice Adelphe BALOU (POJeT), had the opportunity to share their views on the main topic. AfPD constituted the first step to build a solid African network on SSE. The primary purpose of the AfPD was to identify ways of going forward to develop inter-regional partnerships and cooperation based on an international, innovative and supportive approach. In the African region, social economy plays an essential role and AfPD provided participants with a meaningful chance to understand the unique circumstances of each country and share information.   About 80% to 95% of the population in Africa is employed in the informal economy, and the population has sought out innovative solutions to their daily social and economic challenges. Ultimately, social economy in Africa has an important role to play in poverty eradication and should be recognised as an ally for inclusive development by the African authorities and the EU. AfPD presented various situations and existing challenges across Africa, and it was an opportunity to hear about these issues directly from African SSE actors. In that sense, the AfPD was a powerful channel for the GSEF network to connect with its African members and other actors that are advocating for social economy in the region.

Theme: Public policies for financing the social and solidarity economy to strengthen its values and competitiveness Venue: Seoul City Hall & social economy sites, NPO Center, Korea APD 2018 is the 4th edition of the Asia Policy Dialogue (APD), the regional platform for promoting social economy public policies by bringing local authorities, practitioners, researchers and policymakers in the region. APD 2018 focused on different strategies of financing the social economy across ten different countries in Asia.     Objectives To interpret the theme of the GSEF2018, “Social Economy and Cities: Values and Competitiveness for an Inclusive and Sustainable Local Development” in the context of Asia, primarily focused on the financial system for supporting SSE organisations as a pre-discussion of the GSEF2018. To discuss what kind of policy measures should be adopted to expand the SSE organisations’ social impacts and competitiveness in the market and how the process of policymaking and implementation should be done. To offer opportunities for participating GSEF members and partners to brainstorm and search for a more specific and viable collaborative project through the network. To develop the Asia Policy Dialogue as a regular forum on social economy policies in Asia and a networking platform for policymakers, advocators, and practitioners of SSE, based on the evaluation and outcome of the last four policy dialogues of GSEF. Key Questions What are the characteristics of the social economy in Asia to be recognised in its social values and competitiveness for an inclusive and sustainable local development? How the funding and financial system to promote social economy could be established and strengthened? What are the suitable social finance schemes according to the stage of growth among Asian social economy enterprises in their local economic and social contexts? What kind of legal consideration and policy initiatives are required for the finance for the social economy to be managed adequately to maximise the social impacts of SSE enterprises? How can the cooperation between cities through international network strengthen each region’s social finance ecosystem? Participants of the APD2018 engaged in social finance study visits in Seoul, plenary sessions on social finance initiatives at both central and local government levels in Korea and were also able to engage in discussions through various workshops with particular focus on regions and different social finance policies at community, private and public levels in Asia. Coming from diverse backgrounds, participants were provided with a networking opportunity to exchange good practices in their respective country. At the closing roundtable session, they discussed how to enhance cooperation between cities through international networks such as GSEF and how international networks can assist in promoting the social finance and continue the momentum for the regional dialogue. You can access all APD resources such as PPT slides, programme, etc here (google drive link)   About APD Since 2014, the APD has played a key role in promoting knowledge exchanges between policymakers in searching for the best ways of co-constructing public policies, establishing eco-systems for supporting the Social & Solidarity Economy (SSE) and social innovation to tackle various societal and urban challenges in Asia wherein social enterprises are playing an increasingly pivotal role in the provision of social services as well as serving as a catalyst for industrial innovations.

Theme: Transformative Partnerships between Local Governments and SSE actors    Venue: Centre de convention, Archamps, France *EPD was organized as a side event to the 8th Mont Blanc Meetings (6~8 December 2017) Format: Panel discussion (presentations followed by participants' comments and open discussions) Host: GSEF Secretariat (in partnership with ESSFI) Language: English Participants: 30 policy makers, researchers, practitioners, elected officials and civil servants Background Since 2014, the GSEF has annually hosted the Asia Policy Dialogue (APD) which has served as a regional platform for promoting co-construction of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) public policies. For the first time in its editions, the fifth 2017 GSEF policy dialogue will shift its regional focus onto Europe, where the most innovative public policy experiments are underway to tackle pressing socioeconomic issues such as widening inequality, regional disparity, unemployment and migration. In the process, SSE public policies- which encompass various initiatives such as community ownership, social finance, social enterprise, Fairtrade and cooperative- have been playing an increasingly pivotal role in conceptualising alternative ways of dealing with the current challenges and localising Sustainable Development Goals.  Through the fifth edition of the GSEF Policy Dialogue, GSEF seeks to establish a platform for knowledge exchanges by drawing lessons from the unique experiences of European countries. Through the collective efforts of identifying imminent policy challenges of Europe and its innovative solutions based on the SSE principles, Europe Policy Dialogue (EPD) will provide an ample opportunity for debates among policymakers, researchers and SSE stakeholders. Ultimately, the EPD aims to serve as a catalyst for encouraging cooperation among SSE stakeholders based in Europe and disseminating good practices to other continents. The outcome of the EPD will be reflected in the agenda formulation of GSEF’s forthcoming forum; GSEF2018 ‘Values and competitiveness: an inclusive & sustainable development (tentative)’ which will be taking place in Bilbao, Spain from 1st to 3rd October 2018. Goals Mapping current public policy issues in Europe (e.g. EU funds, the commons, remunicipalisation, migration/refugees, localisation) and identifying the potential of the SSE in a collective manner.  Defining a transformative partnership between local governments and SSE actors towards ‘the new efficiency (the central theme of the 8th Mont Blanc Meetings)’ in the context of Europe.    Providing networking opportunities for participating organisations. Delivering outcomes of the EPD discussions for constructing the theme of GSEF2018 Bilbao. Program [[{"fid":"1787","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"1"}}]][[{"fid":"1788","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"2"}}]]

Theme: Effective public policy design for fostering social economy as leverage for inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development in Asia Venue: Seoul City Hall Co-organizers: GSEF and Seoul Metropolitan Government  Participants: 50~70 invitees including policy makers, elected officials, social entrepreneurs, practitioners and researchers from the Asia Pacific region.   Schedule:  30 Jun (Fri) - Seoul social economy week events and networking evening 1 Jul (Sat) - Roundtables, keynote speeches and group policy case study About APD As a continuation of the previous editions of APD at the GSEF forums (2014, 2015) and the first APD event outside of Korea; took place in Hong Kong (2016) in partnership with the Asia Venture Philanthropy Network (One of the Steering Committee of the GSEF), BMW foundation and British Council which attracted more than 80 delegates from 15 different countries in the region,  the 4th edition of APD 2017 will be held in Seoul as a back to back event with the GSEF-ILO SSE Academy ‘Innovative ecosystem for SSE public policies – a contribution to the future of work (26 ~ 30 Jun)’. The APD has played a key role in promoting knowledge exchanges between policymakers and practitioners in searching for the best ways of co-constructing public policies and establishing eco-systems for promoting the Social & Solidarity Economy (SSE) and social innovation to tackle various societal and urban challenges in Asia wherein social enterprises are increasingly playing a pivotal role in the provision of social services as well as serving as a catalyst for industrial innovations. For two days, APD 2017 will offer participants from Asian-Pacific countries with diverse backgrounds the opportunity to discuss regional policy initiatives for resolving imminent urban challenges through various activities and debates at the heart of one of Asia’s most progressive cities of fostering SSE to achieve inclusive and sustainable socioeconomic development.

Theme: The role of the government in enhancing impact in the Social Economy in Asia  Venue: Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Building Z, Level 2 Audience: 80 pax of government officials from 14 countries in Asia, including Hong Kong, China, Korea, Japan, Singapore, India, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (the event was by invitation only)   In collaboration with AVPN, BMW Foundation, British Council, APD will provide a venue for policymakers in Asia to discuss how to effectively resolve various socio-economic issues in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through the social economy (social innovation/social finance/social enterprises) and multisector collaborations, APD will be an opportunity to define the specific issues that many Asian countries/local governments face today and will find tailored ways of achieving SDGs collectively in the context of Asia.    Background On 26th May 2016, the Asia Policy Dialogue convened at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the day following the 4th AVPN Annual Conference. The Dialogue is supported by the BMW Foundation and British Council, and AVPN.  Policy makers from across Asia will gather for knowledge exchange on how to create a more conducive eco-system for social enterprise and social investment as well as how governments can support the creation of an enabling environment for innovation to happen. The dialogue further aims to explore how governments can contribute to the achievement of the SDGs through the promotion of social enterprise and social investment and seek to come up with a series of recommendations in this regard. It will also explore how governments can work together more collaboratively to achieve these goals. Event Structure Morning session: 0900 – 0940: Introduction speeches from 4 representatives of APD steering committee members: GSEF, BMW Foundation British Council and AVPN (10 minutes each) 940 – 1010: 15-min speeches from guest speakers Paul Carttar (former director of Obama’s Social Innovation Fund and Co-Founder of Bridgespan) and Cliff Prior (current CEO of UnLtd UK and incoming CEO of Big Society Capital) to set the tone and provide an overview on government policies and social investing eco-system relating to SDGs. 1010 – 1145: Presentations from regional representatives on each country’s programs pertaining to social investment or innovation (5 minutes each, estimated 12 representatives). 1145 – 1200: Morning session wrap up. Afternoon session: 1300 – 1345: Panel discussion on multi-sector collaboration success cases, focused on the housing sector. Speakers will reflect on project collaborations between governments, private sector (e.g. real estate developer) and the intermediary actors (an organization that brings the project together): e.g. cooperatives of community-owned housing project. 1345 – 1445: Facilitated discussion by Paul Carttar, assisted by partners from AVPN, British Council, BMW Foundation, on how each country can contribute towards the SDGs with multi-sector collaboration initiatives. 1445 – 1545: Groups will reconvene to present thoughts about each country’s possible policy and program initiatives. 1545 – 1630: Closing on future steps of Asia Policy Dialogue.