The Geneva Meeting Launching – The Group of Friends on SSE

At the Launch at the ILO HQ in Geneva (June 11, 2026)

Convening Countries

This launch meeting of the Group of Friends on the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE), was co-convened by Brazil , Colombia & Spain , and held on June 11, 2026 at the International Labour Organization (ILO) headquarters in Geneva. This launch serves as a contribution to the Global Coalition for Social Justice.

Participating Countries

Other interested governments, who participated and expressed their support of SSE included Barbados , Cameroon , Côte d’Ivoire , Luxembourg , Mali , Mauritania , Senegal , the State of Palestine and Uzbekistan , shared priorities and experiences concerning cooperation on the SSE. Their interventions reflected growing interest in strengthening intergovernmental dialogue and coordination on the SSE at the global level.

Stakeholder reflections from United Nations entities, SSE actors and other partners highlighted opportunities for collaboration across policy, research, advocacy and implementation.

Participating UN agencies

Contributions included reflections from UN agencies namely World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Human Rights and United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD).

Participating CSO-NGOs

International CSO-NGO organisations also participated and expressed their support for SSE and the need for this global space for the visibility of SSE and the space for global dialogue and interaction

Among them were SEWA, RIPESS, ESS Forum International, StreetNet, Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing – WIEGO, CEPES Confederación Empresarial Española de la Economía Social, Social Economy Europe and GSEF – Global Forum for Social and Solidarity Economy.

The discussions highlighted the contribution of the SSE to decent work, sustainable development and social justice, as well as its relevance to ongoing efforts to advance a human rights economy, eradicate poverty beyond growth and strengthen cooperation across countries and institutions.

THE INTERVENTION BY RIPESS

At the Launch of the Group of Friends of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) on  June 11, 2026 at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Geneva, Switzerland Ms Sandra Moreno Cadena participated in person and shared these thoughts.

“Thank you Excellencies, colleagues, RIPESS, the intercontinental network for the promotion of the social and solidarity economy, with members in more than 75 countries on five continents, warmly welcomes the launch of this Group of Friends of the SSE.

For more than 25 years, we have shown that the SSE is a deeply political response from civil society to the failures of the dominant economic model. The emerging human rights economy agenda, and the Roadmap for eradicating poverty beyond growth presented here at the ILO, make this clear: the social and solidarity economy offers a concrete, proven pathway to address the root causes of poverty and inequality, not just their symptoms. Putting people and territories before profit is not utopian; it is already happening through cooperatives, mutuals, associations, care, feminist and community economies in all regions.

RIPESS has helped bring these realities into multilateral and regional spaces: contributing to the adoption of the UN General Assembly and ILO resolutions on SSE; securing recognition in the Sevilla Commitment at the Fourth Conference on Financing for Development; advancing the ASEAN roadmap for SDGs and SSE through our member ASEC; participating in RIFESS to strengthen Ibero‑American cooperation; and working alongside RAESS, whose contribution is recognised in the African Union’s ten‑year strategy on SSE. These processes show that we are talking about a systemic response, grounded in a global movement with solid regional foundations.

The creation of this Group of Friends is therefore a political commitment to move from recognition to implementation: to bring SSE into the strategies of UN entities and development and public banks; to strengthen interministerial coordination and national SSE infrastructures; and to anchor this work in dialogue with organised civil society.

We also strongly encourage a geographically diverse and truly global Group, reflecting the full richness of States’ practices and leadership.

As Jean Ziegler reminded us, “we need to crush the invisible hand; the economy is not a natural phenomenon, it is a tool that must be dedicated to one single goal: the pursuit of global prosperity.” I thank you”.