ECLAC participates in Latin American diploma course on social and solidarity economy

Within the framework of the Diploma in Public Policies and Popular, Social and Solidarity Economy, organized by the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS), ECLAC collaborated with a master class on Institutionality and Public Policies of the ESS by by Felipe Correa, the institution’s specialist in social and solidarity economy.

The specialist from the Productive and Business Development Division started with the evidence that public institutions, aimed at strengthening the social and solidarity economy, have been strengthening in recent decades in the region. Even so, Correa highlighted that there are still countries in the region that lack a specific promotion agency for the social and solidarity economy.

According to the above, the cooperative sector represents 3.8% of the social and solidarity economy of the region, with 97.2% of cooperatives categorized as micro, small or medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Additionally, in recent years several countries in the region have achieved that public organizations consider social economy companies and organizations as objects of public policies aimed at MSMEs. Added to this is that coordination between ministries and public organizations regarding this issue has increased in recent years, both at a horizontal level—where entities at the same level develop strategic guidelines—and vertically, between different levels of government.

Finally, Correa highlighted that all this work acquires greater relevance in the context of the recent Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy for Sustainable Development and the report of the Secretary General of the United Nations on the promotion of the SSE for Sustainable Development. These declarations reiterate the commitment of the United Nations, including ECLAC, to translate calls to action into policies and concrete efforts to support organizations and companies of the social and solidarity economy.