UNTFSSE – UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy

January 5, 2014

Roundup of the conference “Potential and Limits of Social and Solidarity Economy”

On 6-8 May 2013, UNRISD held a major international conference on Potential and Limits of Social and Solidarity Economy. The event aimed to raise the visibility of SSE within the UN system and beyond, and to contribute in debates about a post-2015 development agenda. The event was co-hosted with the ILO and in partnership with Hivos, the Rosa Luxembourg Foundation and the Ville de Genève. UN-NGLS organized a special session on alternative finance and complementary currencies. The conference was a […]

February 10, 2014

UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy Established

The founding meeting of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy took place on 30 September 2013 in Geneva. This is a new inter-agency partnership that aims to assist countries, mobilize political will and enhance momentum towards mainstreaming the issue of SSE in international and national policy frameworks. The Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy is a concrete result of the conference “Potential and Limits of Social and Solidarity Economy”, held in May 2013. At […]

February 22, 2014

RIPESS Calls on UN to Promote Social and Solidarity Economy at Manila Conference

Welcoming the recent initiative of 14 United Nations agencies to establish an Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy, participants at the 5th RIPESS International Meeting on Social Solidarity Economy called on the new body to carry on the work begun this year by UNRISD and the ILO of organizing an annual conference on SSE. They further recommended that the Task Force be open to civil society participation. Delegates urged UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the high-level processes associated […]

February 23, 2014

II World Forum of Local Economic Development recognizes the importance of SSE in promoting economic and innovation dynamics

The Second World Forum of Local Economic Development was held on 29 October – 1 November 2013, in Foz de Iguaçu, Brazil. During a session dedicated to the potential and limits of SSE, speakers acknowledged the importance of SSE in promoting economic and innovation dynamics which generate decent work. Developments occurring in the field of SSE have crucial implications for local development, given its potential for stimulating local economic activity, generating employment, building social and human capital, strengthening community governance […]

February 24, 2014

The 6th Mont-Blanc Meetings took place from 9-11 November 2013 in Chamonix, France

Acknowledging the end of the 15 years period allotted to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the focus of the event was “Changing the course of globalization through social and solidarity economy: Towards post 2015 Millennium Development Goals”. These MDGs had been set by the United Nations to reduce both extreme poverty and the disparities between a large number of very poor people and a minority of very rich. As from now, an assessment seems necessary, as well as […]

April 2, 2014

Side event on SSE at the 8th session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals

Speakers at the side-event titled “SSE: Changing economic relations for equality and sustainable development in the post-2015 agenda” presented to a packed room in the UN building in New York on 4 February 2014. The objective of the side event was to discuss how SSE can contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals. Representatives of MBM Board of Directors and Scientific Committee provided an overall picture of SSE and how it relates to sustainable development and equality. Claude […]

April 2, 2014

Occasional Paper Series on Social and Solidarity Economy – Potential and Limits of Social and Solidarity Economy

This series is the result of the UNRISD international conference on the Potential and Limits of Social and Solidarity Economy held in May 2013. Selected papers from the conference have been peer reviewed and are now being published in this new UNRISD Occasional Paper Series. More papers will be added as the series progresses. Conceptualizing SSE Towards an Epistemological Foundation for Social and Solidarity Economy—Anup Dash Social and Solidarity Economy: Between Emancipation and Reproduction—Joana S. Marques SSE and Local […]

April 3, 2014

4th Edition of the ILO Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) Academy

The 4th edition of Academy on Social and Solidarity Economy will be held in Campinas, Brazil, from Monday 28th July to Friday 1st August 2014. The ILO SSE Academy is an interregional training opportunity gathering practitioners from all around the world, to share their experiences and meet leading SSE specialists. The main topic of this edition is “Social and Solidarity Economy: towards inclusive and sustainable development”. This year the Academy will have a special focus on the Social and Solidarity […]

August 10, 2014

UNTFSSE members to take part in conference organized by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), 1 Oct., Brussels

Several members of the TFSSE will take part in the conference titled “Social Economy and social innovation as drivers of competitiveness, growth and social well-being”. UNRISD Director, Sarah Cook, will present the Task Force to the European audience. The social economy combines profitability with social inclusion. Social innovation is the first step in the creation of a social enterprise. The potential of the social economy and of social innovation was demonstrated at the joint EC-EESC event ‘Social Entrepreneurs: have your […]

September 8, 2014

Peter Utting retires from UNRISD

Peter Utting, Deputy Director of UNRISD, retired on the 31 August, after having worked for over 23 years at UNRISD. He was instrumental in the founding of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on SSE (TFSSE) and acted as the first co-ordinator of the TFSSE Secretariat. He was recently leading UNRISD work on SSE. Previously, he coordinated research projects on the green economy, corporate social responsibility, the global financial crisis, business regulation, and the role of civil society actors in governance. […]

September 8, 2014

First meeting of the Leading Group on SSE to take place on 22 September in NY

The Task Force will be represented at the first meeting of the International Leading Group on Social and Solidarity Economy during the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters. The meeting, organized by the Mont-Blanc Meetings (MBM), will take place on Monday September 22, from 4 to 6pm in conference room n°8. The event is supported by the French government. The Leading Group brings together States (to date: France, Ecuador, Morocco, Luxembourg, Colombia and Quebec as observer), international institutions and […]

September 8, 2014

UNTFSSE to take part in the Global Social Economy Forum (GSEF), 17-19 November, Seoul

The UN Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy will be represented by the ILO (Roberto di Meglio), UNRISD (Pascal van Griethuysen) and the UNDP Seoul Policy Center. The Inaugural Meeting of the GSEF is organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Seoul Organizing Committee of the GSEF and the Seoul Social Economy Center. It will take place in Seoul on November 17-19, 2014. The meeting will bring together local governments and the NGOs with the vision of realizing […]