El primer Diálogo de Políticas sobre la Economía Social y Solidaria en la región de la América Latina y el Caribe se celebró el 9 de diciembre de 2019 como sesiones co-organizadas por GSEF y Ciudades y Gobiernos Locales Unidos (CGLU) durante la 19ª Conferencia del Observatorio Internacional de la Democracia Participativa (OIDP) en Iztapalapa, México. La 19a Conferencia OIDP que organiza la Alcaldía de Iztapalapa, es el evento de referencia sobre democracia participativa a nivel mundial con el objetivo de fomentar el papel de las ciudades en el fortalecimiento de la democracia. También es una oportunidad para impulsar la cooperación entre ciudades y organizaciones internacionales en el ámbito de las innovaciones democráticas.  [[{"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 organiza diálogo de políticas sobre la ESS  a nivel continental con el objetivo de ofrecer oportunidades de fortalecer discusiones, debates e intercambios sobre los asuntos actuales importantes del sector junto con todos los actores invitados a nivel regional. Este año GSEF ha organizado los diálogos en África (Bamako, abril), en Asia (Seúl, octubre), y en Europa (Liverpool, noviembre) donde se compartieron sus experiencias y conocimientos y establecieron redes de colaboración. Al mismo tiempo promocionó el GSEF2020, el foro bianual que se va a celebrar en el año 2020 en la Ciudad de México. Los mayores objetivos de este diálogo eran los siguentes: Creación de alianzas a través de las sesiones de GSEF y otros eventos de redes con las ciudades miembros de CGLU, y permitir una mejor comprensión del papel de la ESS en los marcos de desarrollo actuales; Establecimiento de redes con nuevos posibles miembros y socios en la región de América Latina y promover la economía social y solidaria y su importante contribución a la localización y el logro de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS); Proporcionar un espacio para debates y aprendizaje mutuo de experiencias hacia un desarrollo local sostenible e inclusivo a través de la economía social y solidaria; Promoción de la GSEF2020 Ciudad de México. Este primer Diálogo de Políticas sobre la Economía Social y Solidaria en la región de la América Latina y el Caribe tuvo las ponencias diversificadas desde Bolivia, Colombia, México, Perú y Uruguay, en colaboración con el Instituto Nacional de Economía Social de México (INAES) y la Comisión Inclusión social y democracia participativa de CGLU.   La economía social y solidaria es importante para asegurar los derechos sociales y económicos de los ciudadanos. La ESS es una estrategia para la inclusión, innovación y transformación social de nuestra sociedad. Les agradecemos por su pasión y todo el apoyo y les invitamos a todos al GSEF2020. Las palabras de clausura de la Secretaria General del GSEF, Sra. Laurence Kwark Las presentaciones y los resumenes de las sesiones serán compartidos proximamente aquí.  * Para más información, por favor visite la página web de la OIDP Conferencia.

Tema: Construyendo la diversidad e inclusión a través de la Economía Social y Solidaria    Lugar: La Asociación de Mujeres, Liverpool, el Reino Unido Partiendo del anterior Diálogo de Políticas de Europa que examinó las sociedades pacíficas e inclusivas para el desarrollo sostenible a través de la Economía Social y Solidaria (ESS), la 3a edición del Diálogo de Políticas de Europa tuvo lugar en Liverpool, el Reino Unido, en torno al tema 'Construir la diversidad e inclusión a través de la Economía Social y Solidaria'.  El diálogo fue organizado por GSEF en colaboración con la “Autoridad Combinada de la Región de la Ciudad de Liverpool” (LCRCA en siglas en inglés) y la Universidad de 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"}}]] En este evento se reunieron de todo el Reino Unido y Europa los gobiernos locales, las organizaciones de la sociedad civil, expertos y activistas de la Unión Europea para discutir cómo realizar las ideas en acción sobre la diversidad, la marginación y la inclusión. Los panelistas fueron Lynn Collins, Asesora para las Relaciones Estratégicas y Participación de la Autoridad Combinada de la Ciudad de la Región de Liverpool, el Reino Unido; Apostolos Ioakimidis, Cooperativa Social Wind of Renewal, Grecia; Filareti Paka, Gerente de Comunicación de Proyectos Europeos, Instituto de Desarrollo de Emprendimientos (iED); Dražen Šimleša, Red Verde de Grupos Activistas (ZMAG), Coordinador General de la Red Intercontinental para la Promoción de la Economía Social Solidaria (RIPESS); y Derek Walker, Director General, Centro Cooperativo de Gales, el Reino Unido. La cuestión de construir la diversidad y la inclusión en nuestras economías adquiere una importancia adicional ya que el incremento de la desigualdad de riqueza a nivel nacional de los países se ha intensificado. Muchos problemas existentes, como la inseguridad económica, la falta de vivienda, el cuidado de las personas mayores y el bienestar general tienen una causa común. También vemos un gran aumento en los cambios de población, ya que la guerra, el hambre y la sequía han llevado a las personas a perder sus hogares, y algunas estimaciones sugieren que más del 1% de la población mundial se ha visto obligada a mudarse de su país de origen. Como resultado de tales problemas globales, la diversidad y la inclusión se han vuelto más importantes para las economías locales. Muchas organizaciones de la ESS están mejor posicionadas para desafiar estos problemas. Ellas se situan en aquellas comunidades, donde el mercado ha fallado o el estado se ha reducido, trabajando con las personas de la comunidad quienes a menudo están fuera del sistema o que han sido discriminadas abiertamente a través de estructuras de desigualdad. Enfrentan a los problemas estructurales y organizacionales como ¿de dónde vendrán los nuevos líderes? ¿Cómo pueden acceder a los recursos necesrarios y ser más sostenibles? ¿Cómo aportan justicia social, diversidad y democracia a la economía? ¿Pueden influir en el cambio de las políticas? Estas preguntas se discutieron y plantearon los participantes en el Diálogo de Políticas de Europa 2019. Los panelista compartieron sus experiencias e ideas sobre los siguientes temas: Los gobiernos locales promueven los enfoques para una inclusión auténtica Ir más allá de la inclusión a través de las prácticas y políticas innovadoras de integración laboral La Economía Social y Solidaria: una fuerza impulsora para habilirar a los futuros líderes diversos Abajo presentamos los materiales visuales como resumen de las discusiones del diálogo. Los puntos destacados de su informe pueden descargar abajo en la esta misma página! [[{"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"}}]]   También se preparaon y ofrecieron las visitas técnicas. Las reuniones del Diálogo de Políticas de Europa forman parte de la serie de diálogos regionales a largo plazo, cuyo objetivo es identificar ideas de desarrollar la colaboración y cooperación interregional basad en un enfoque internacional, innovador y de apoyo. Los diálogos regionales anteriores tuvieron lugar en Asia (Seúl en 2014, 2015, 2017 y 2018; Hong Kong en 2016), Europa (Archamps en 2017; Madrid en 2018) y África (Bilbao en 2018; Bamako en 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)

Tema: La Economía Social y Solidaria para la urbanización cotrolada e inclusiva en las ciudades africanas Lugar: Bamako, Mali Después de la primera edición inaugural organizada durante el Foro Global de la Economía Social GSEF2018 en Bilbao, la segunda edición del Diálogo de Políticas de África tuvo lugar en la ciudad de Bamako, Malí en torno al tema de "la Economía Social y Solidaria para una urbanización controlada e inclusiva en las ciudades africanas". Fue organizado por el Secretariado del GSEF en colaboración con la ciudad de Bamako, la Red Nacional para la Promoción de la Economía Social y Solidaria de Malí (RENAPESS), la Red Africana para la Economía Social y Solidaria (RAESS) y la Organización Internacional de la Francofonía (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"}}]] Este evento invitó a los gobiernos locales y organizaciones de la sociedad civil de aproximadamente diez países de África Occidental para discutir y realizar un análisis más profundo sobre el papel clave que la economía social y solidaria pueda desempeñar en las estrategias de desarrollo económico local y hacia la construcción de ciudades inclusivas y sostenibles. Los panelistas incluyeron a Sr. Albert Anicet Akoa, Vicepresidente de los Consejos Unidos y Ciudades de Camerún (CVUC); Sr. Harouna Arzika, Secretario Permanente de la Asociación de Municipios de Níger; Sra. Adjara Diouf, Especialista de Programas de la Organización Internacional de la Francofonía (OIF); Sr. Pascal Duforestel, miembro del Consejo Regional de Nouvelle-Acquitaine a cargo de la economía social y solidaria de Francia; Sr. Ichemkhou Eleydou, Consejero Regional de Nouakchott en Mauritania; Sra. Kémi Fakambi y Sr. Marx Abidji, de Bénin Entreprendre Solidaire sobre el programa Territoire (B’EST); Sr. Carlos de Freitas, Director de Programas del Fondo Mundial para el Desarrollo de las Ciudades (FMDV); Sr. Séverin Komi d'Alveida, Teniente de Alcalde de Cotonú de Benin; Sr. Adama Sangaré, Alcalde de la ciudad de Bamako de Malí; Sr. Bourahima Sanou, Alcalde de Bobo Dioulasso de Burkina Faso; y Sra. Camara Aminata Touré, Vicepresidenta Ejecutiva de la Asociación Nacional de Municipios de Guinea (ANCG). En los últimos años, la importancia y la escala de la Economía Social y Solidaria (ESS) ha aumentado en los países africanos. La contribución de la ESS, que permite el desarrollo local mediante de acudir al conocimiento existente y el potencial de los territorios en el momento de responder a las necesidades reales de los ciudadanos, se reconoce cada vez más. Sin embargo, todavía existen barreras para el desarrollo de este modelo económico alternativo. ¿Qué estado de la ESS puede trazarse en África Occidental? ¿Cómo puede contribuir la ESS al desarrollo económico local y la inclusión social en los territorios donde se implementa? ¿Qué se puede hacer para promover y fortalecer la ESS, y compartir buenas prácticas en esta área? ¿Cómo desarrollar un marco legal para aumentar la inclusión de este modelo económico en la implementación de políticas públicas a nivel local y nacional? Estas son algunas de las preguntas que se discutirán durante las reuniones del AfPD. Todos los panelistas compartieron sus experiencisa e ideas y los problemas cruciales que se están enfrentando las ciudades en África: Urbanización controlada en las ciudades africanas: respuestas desde la Economía Social y Solidaria.  El papel de los gobiernos locales en la promoción de la Economía Social y Solidaria.  El emprendimiento social como una palanca para el desarrollo económico local en el África subsahariana. ¿Qué partenariado estratégico para el desarrollo de ecosistemas sostenibles de la ESS hacia el desarrollo de ciudades inclusivas? Lo más destacado de este diálogo fue el respaldo de todos los participantes en la Declaración de Bamako, que servirá como una hoja de ruta para el desarrollo de la Economía Social y Solidaria en el continente africano, y establece recomendaciones específicas para los gobiernos locales y nacionales, y los actores de la ESS para lograr este objetivo. Las reuniones del Diálogo de Políticas de África forman parte de una serie de diálogos regionales organizados por el GSEF, cuyo objetivo es identificar formas de desarrollar asociaciones y cooperaciones interregionales basadas en un enfoque internacional, innovador y de apoyo. Las reuniones anteriores se llevaron a cabo en Asia (Seúl en 2014, 2015, 2017 y 2018; Hong Kong en 2016) y Europa (Archamps en 2017; y Madrid en 2018).   Media & Recursos La Red Nacional Francesa de los Territorios de la Economía Social (RTES): Deuxième Dialogue Afrique du GSEF Fotos del evento Comunicado de Prensa desde la Organización Internacional de la Francofonía (OIF) (en francés solamente) Presentación en video sobre el Diálogo de Políticas en la ciudad de Bamako (cortesía de la 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 in the framework of GSEF2018 was held on the theme "Decent work and Entrepreneurship for Social and Labour Inclusion in Africa". Africa Policy Dialogue (AfPD) invited African local governments and civil society organisations to share and connect ideas from each part. The AfPD session took place on 2nd October (Tue) in Bilbao. 13 speakers, including Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi (UCLG Africa), Mr. Ronald Balimwezo (Mayor of the Nakawa Division) 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 is 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 will provide 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.