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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

How can SSE best address some of the key challenges of the 21st century? What can it do for decent work, women’s well-being, greening the economy and transforming finance? This position paper has been prepared by members and observers of the TFSSE. It argues the post-2015 development agenda has paid insufficient attention to the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). Available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. SSE refers to the production of goods and services by a broad range of organizations and […]

On March 10th, 2015, the United Nations Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE) nominated Marie-Adelaïde Matheï, Research Analyst at the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), as the Task Force’s Research Coordinator. With the endorsement of member agencies, Marie-Adelaïde Matheï will pursue her work on promoting knowledge and recognition of SSE within the UN and beyond, facilitating partnerships between UN agencies and with umbrella associations of SSE organizations and academia, and coordinating internal and external communications.

«No one should be left behind». There is general agreement that this must be at the heart of the Post-2015 SDGs. This vision must also be at the heart of the Financing for Development (FfD) framework. This implies that the different types of financing, such as grants and loans, must also reach the communities and organisations, including the grassroots organisations, which are working to improve their own livelihoods.   Social Solidarity Economy (SSE) and Financing for Development (FfD): A concept […]

Social Solidarity Economy and Sustainable Development Financing Contributions to the ICESDF 12 May Dialogue Session As the world becomes more and more interconnected, with capital flows over the states borders, it’s impossible to still consider the financial tools and architecture as being solely market-driven and oriented by private goals, interests and speculations1. We’ve seen consequences of this perspective such as fragilizing the poor, augmenting inequalities, and destroying the life conditions for future generations. That’s why financial tools and architecture should […]

The UN conference which was set to change the way finance relates to sustainable development did not deliver on its promises. But Civil Society was very present and compact, with more than 600 organisations and networks participating. Solidarity finance and economy are starting to be addressed. By Jason Nardi (RIPESS Europe and RIPESS Intercontinental board) With the next international financial crisis on the horizon (and the Greek debt crisis as main news, not only for Europe), the 3rd International Conference […]

In the latest Zero Draft New Urban Agenda, 18 June 2016, SSE is now included in paragraph 31. SSE was brought to the attention of the office of Habitat III, due to a letter sent to the office urging that SSE must be included in the New Urban Agenda. Below is the full letter in detail.   We, Social and Solidarity Economy networks, Intercontinental Network for the promotion of Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS), Mont-Blanc Meetings/International Forum of Social and Solidarity Economy Entrepreneurs […]

The UNTFSSE wishes to honour the lives of two colleagues, Jens Nilsson and Paul Singer, who regrettably passed away in March and April, respectively. They both in their own way contributed to the Social and Solidarity Economy as we know it. They each leave behind a legacy for those presently working in the field and for future generation of SSE leaders. Our thoughts are with their loved ones and all those who knew them.   Jens Nilsson (1948-2018) By Miguel […]

The United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE) is launching a Call for Papers to assess the contribution of SSE to inclusive and sustainable development, with a particular emphasis on local contexts. Organized by UNRISD, in its role as coordinator of the Task Force’s recently established Knowledge Hub, the Call for Papers aims to identify and mobilize research from different regions and territories that critically examines the role of SSE as a means of implementation for the SDGs. […]

  Abstracts for the next 4th EMES-Polanyi International Seminar are due on December 15th, 2019. This international seminar will be held at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), Fondation Maison des sciences de l’homme! 🔍 Check the call for papers, submission link, registration and important dates. 📚 Download the 48 papers published so far from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd EMES-Polanyi seminars. This seminar is a co-organized COST Empower-SE Action, so funding will be available to selected participating authors with accepted papers (see the call […]