Resources on cooperative, social and solidarity economy

  1. ApexFinCoop: Advance policy and effectiveness for financial cooperative apexes

  2. Rokin Banks’ responses to the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan

    30 September 2020

    Like any other country, the population and economy of Japan are badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The preliminary figures for real GDP in the second quarter of 2020 show a decline of 7.8%. Rokin Banks (a network of 13 union-led cooperative financial institutions) are well positioned to provide support and protect the livelihoods of workers and their families, given their 70-year-experience in building an inclusive society and advancing financial inclusion of workers. Read about the special measures that Rokin Banks have recently introduced in this short brief.

  3. Financing the Social and Solidarity Economy

    29 June 2020

    In the current global context characterized by complex and pressing challenges, the Social and Solidarity Economy is receiving growing attention for its role and potential to re-balance economic and social objectives and foster sustainable development.

  4. The contribution of SSE and social finance to the future of work

    23 March 2020

    This publication is the result of a research project undertaken in collaboration between the ILO Cooperatives Unit and Social Finance Programme, with support from the Government of France. The research analyses various Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) initiatives around the world in light of the changes observed in the world of work. The research results highlight that regardless of the countries or the type of SSE organizations, SSE and its innovative financing mechanisms present a potential for creating and preserving decent jobs, creating wealth, reducing social inequalities, and advancing local development.

  5. ApexFinCoop - Strengthening the apex organization of financial cooperatives in Nepal

    28 June 2019

    The ILO, the ITC-ILO and the FAO jointly organized a training workshop for the Nepal Federation of Savings and Credit Unions (NEFSCUN) towards promoting financial inclusion and inclusive economic development.

  6. Social Finance Working Paper #76: Rokin Banks - 70 years of efforts to build an inclusive society in Japan through enhancing workers’ access to finance

    01 May 2019

    This working paper documents the experience of Japanese union-led cooperative financial institutions and trade unions in enhancing workers’ access to finance. The working paper highlights 70 years of experience of Rokin Banks in providing access to finance for workers, and in particular low income workers. The paper reviews the factors that contributed to the success and longevity of the model as well as the strategies that Rokin Banks chose to address the challenges of a changing labour movement, a changing world of work, and a highly competitive financial sector. This working paper was produced in close collaboration with the National Association of Labour Banks in Japan and the ILO Office for Japan.

  7. CLIMBS: Extending mutual protection and building resilience in the Philippines

    26 February 2019

    “Spotlight Interviews with Co-operators” is a series of interviews with co-operators from around the world with whom ILO officials have crossed paths during the course of their work on cooperatives and social and solidarity economy (SSE). On this occasion, ILO interviewed Mr Noel Raboy, President and CEO in CLIMBS, a composite insurance cooperative owned by 4,000 member cooperatives from around the Philippines.

  8. Brochure: ApexFinCoop - Advance Policy and Effectiveness for Financial Cooperative Apexes

    01 February 2019

    ApexFinCoop training programme was developed by the ILO, the ITC-ILO and the FAO to support financial cooperative apex organizations in developing and implementing an effective strategic planning, with the objective of fulfilling their functions over the long term in a cost-effective way, to the satisfaction of their members.

  9. Piloting ApexFinCoop - a training programme for financial cooperatives' apex organizations in Ghana

    14 December 2017

    As principle-driven and member-owned businesses, financial cooperatives are among the key institutions to advance financial inclusion particularly in rural areas and for those who face challenges in accessing these services through other types of financial service providers. ILO, ITC-ILO and FAO held a workshop to test and validate a training programme for financial cooperatives apex organizations.

  10. Rokin Labour Banks: Financial cooperatives for workers in Japan

    31 October 2017

    "Spotlight Interviews with Cooperators" is a series of interviews with cooperative leaders from around the world with whom ILO officials have crossed paths during the course of their work with cooperatives. For this issue ILO interviewed Mr Toshihiro Akahori, Deputy General Manager, Planning and International Department of National Association of Labour Banks (NALB) in Japan. Prior to joining NALB in 2015, he worked at Shizuoka Rokin Labour Bank in Shizuoka Prefecture from 1997 to 2015.