BCCM welcomes the first ever UN resolution on Social and Solidarity Economy

20 April 2023

The BCCM welcomes the United Nations General Assembly in New York adopting the first ever UN resolution on Promoting the social and solidarity economy for sustainable development on 18 April 2023.

The new resolution helps to further increase the visibility of cooperatives at the UN level and complements the existing resolutions, specifically on co-operatives.

The International Cooperative Alliance (IC) welcomes the resolution as an “important step in mainstreaming and enhancing the international dimension and profile of the SSE”.

The BCCM recognises the role of the ICA, as an observer of the UN Task Force on the Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE), for being part of the discussion over the last few years.

The resolution includes a definition of the SSE as “enterprises, organisations and other entities engaged in economic, social and environmental activities which serve the collective and/or general interest, based on the principles of voluntary cooperation and mutual aid, democratic and/or participatory governance, autonomy and independence and the primacy of people and social purpose over capital in the distribution and use of surpluses and/or profits”.

Recognising cooperatives as part of the SSE (together with associations, mutual societies, foundations, social enterprises, self-help groups and “other entities operating in accordance with the values and principles of the social and solidarity economy”), the resolution will coexist with existing UN resolutions on cooperatives in social development, ​​adopted since the 1950s.

“This is a historic moment for the SSE family. The cooperative movement has been one of the main institutional pillars constituting the SSE ever since its origins in the 1830s, and has been actively engaged in the modern revival of the SSE concept. We believe the resolution will be a key instrument in increasing the visibility of the SSE and providing the opportunity for a focused exchange of knowledge and learning by member states, guiding UN agencies on SSE priority areas of work and documenting our contributions to sustainable development”, said Ariel Guarco, President of the ICA.

Read the ICA’s media release: A historic moment as the UN General Assembly adopts the first ever resolution on the social and solidarity economy

Read CICOPA’s media release: CICOPA welcomes the first ever UN resolution on Social and Solidarity Economy