Cover story

International Day of Cooperatives Celebrated at the UN in NY

COPAC along with the Permanent Mission of Italy to the UN and the Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the UN co-hosted the UN observance of the 2016 International Day of Cooperatives on 11 July 2016 at UN headquarters in New York, as a side event of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Gilbert Houngbo, ILO’s Deputy Director-General for Field Operations and Partnership reflected on how cooperatives contributes to the decent work and Sustainable development Goals during the event. Sonia Dias from WIEGO reflected on the role cooperatives play in formalizing waste pickers in the informal economy toward securing conditions of decent work.

News from the field

A Social Economy Project in Tunisia Launched

The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is supporting a 3-year project to create sustainable and decent jobs for young people in Tunisia through the promotion of organizations and mechanisms of the social and solidarity economy. Promotion of Organizations and Mechanisms of Social and Solidarity Economy (PROMESS) will assist the Tunisian government, social partners and civil society in establishing a conductive legal and institutional environment for social and solidarity economy. The project will support more than 100 social and solidarity economy organizations across the country, and create at least 2,000 jobs and livelihoods throughout this period.

A New Policy on Social Economy for South Africa Forthcoming

The Government of Flanders and the National Economic Development Department of South Africa are to allocate €1,3 million over a 3-year period to support the development of a social economy policy for South Africa. This initiative follows the implementation of a range of projects that have enhanced existing knowledge and built a community of actors and agencies committed to growing and developing this sector.

Research on the Role of Social and Solidarity Economy and Social Finance in Sustainable Development and the Future of Work

Funded by the French government, ILO has launched a research project to enhance understanding on the role of SSEOs in sustainable development and the future of work. This initiative will look at the contribution of SSE to decent jobs; whether and how social finance mechanisms and instruments can incentivize the SSE actors to enhance their impact on employment and work; and how SSE entities allow the inclusion of social justice in a rapidly changing world of work.

Improving Understanding on Cooperative Statistics in Africa

The International Co-operative Alliance Africa organized a Commissioners, Registrars, Directors and Co-operative Leaders/Managers Forum in Maseru, Lesotho. ILO was represented by its Department of Statistics, and the findings from a mapping exercise conducted by the ILO in 69 countries on the existing providers and sources of statistics on cooperatives; and their limitations and coverage, with special emphasis on the African countries surveyed, were presented.

Publications

Cooperatives and the World of Work No.5

Securing Rights, Creating Jobs and Ensuring Sustainability: A Cooperative Way for Empowering Indigenous Peoples

This brief is the fifth in the Cooperatives and World of Work series of ILO COOP, and is published in time to celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. It was developed as part of a joint initiative between COOP and Gender, Equality and Diversity Branch (GED), which is responsible for matters related to indigenous peoples. Follow up steps include use of cooperative development tools in the context of upcoming projects around advancing social and economic rights of indigenous peoples. The brief is available in English, French and Spanish.

Private and Public Procurement and the Social Economy Project - South Africa

Within the framework of the Private and Public Procurement and the Social Economy (PPPSE) Project in South Africa, the ILO has undertaken the following research:

Best Practice Case Studies from South Africa showcases six case studies of social economy enterprises participating in the private and public procurement processes, and looks at the impact of procurement strategies on enterprises and their communities.

Access to Finance for Social Entrepreneurs in South Africa provides insights on how social enterprises are accessing financial products and services in South Africa.