Resources on cooperative, social and solidarity economy

  1. ILO participates in the Framework Conference of the Ibero-American Network for the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE)

    31 January 2024

    This network, driven by Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, Spain and Portugal, aims to consolidate a regional group that promotes the SSE.

  2. The ILO holds meeting on care provision through cooperatives with global and country level updates

    01 September 2023

    On Wednesday, August 23rd, The ILO’s Cooperatives, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit (COOP/SSE) and the Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Branch came together with 27 ILO colleagues from headquarters and the field to discuss progress on the initiative Cooperative Care Provision as a Gender-Transformative Decent Work Solution, initially launched in March 2023.

  3. © Esneyder Gutiérrez Cardona 2024
    Our cooperative has dignified the work of waste pickers

    30 June 2022

    More than 20 years ago, Martha Elena Iglesias helped found a waster picker cooperative in Colombia called Planeta Verde. Over time, the cooperative has transformed how the local community views waste pickers and a sense of solidarity has developed amongst its members.

  4. 12th Academy on Social and Solidarity Economy - Plenary Session 5: The importance of statistical instruments in measuring the SSE

    10 January 2022

  5. 12th Academy on Social and Solidarity Economy - Elective 1: Promoting fundamental principles and rights at work in the SSE

    29 November 2021

    The electives of the SSE Academy were designed for practitioners from around the world to share and discuss practices, ideas and models for SSE action in specific fields. The first elective 1 took place on 16, 17 and 18 November 2021. It focused on the promotion of fundamental principles and rights at work in the Social and Solidarity Economy. It was available for participants in English, French and Spanish.

  6. Cooperatives in Americas

    22 December 2020

    As part of the ILO COOP 100 photo exhibitions, the ILO is featuring the contributions of cooperatives and the wider SSE to advancing decent work and sustainable development. The tenth in the series of slideshows highlights cooperative action in the Americas.

  7. Cooperative Principle 5: Education, Training, and Information

    08 December 2020

    The sixth in the series of slideshows highlights cooperative principle five on education training and information. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

  8. ILO COOP 100 Interview with Colombia Pérez Muñoz, Director of the Institute of Social Economy and Co-operativism INDESCO - Cooperative University of Colombia

    28 October 2020

    Established in March 1920, the ILO’s Cooperatives Unit marks its Centenary in 2020. On this occasion, the ILO COOP 100 Interview series features past and present ILO colleagues and key partners who were closely engaged in the ILO's work on cooperatives and the wider social and solidarity economy (SSE). The interviews reflect on their experience and contributions in the past and shares their thoughts on the future of cooperatives and the SSE in a changing world of work.

  9. Financial Mechanisms for Innovative Social and Solidarity Economy Ecosystems - Executive Summary

    14 November 2019

    This report presents the results of the “Financial Mechanisms for Innovative Social and Solidarity Economy Ecosystems” project, designed to foster a better understanding of the different ways in which financial resources can be made available and accessed to support the growth of social and solidarity economy (SSE) organizations and their ecosystems. The project is supported by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social and Solidarity Economy of the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

  10. Waste pickers’ cooperatives and social and solidarity economy organizations

    20 August 2019

    Waste pickers make significant contributions to public health, sanitation, and the environment by promoting resource circulation and reducing the amount of landfill. However, they are often not legally recognized as workers and suffer from poor working conditions and lack of social protection. This brief highlights the role of waste pickers' cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy organizations (SSEOs) in integrating and formalizing the work of waste pickers in the recycling value chain and improving their working conditions.