ECLAC participates in the Framework Conference of the Ibero-American Network for the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy

In April 2023, the United Nations General Assembly, in its seventy-seventh session, approved the Resolution on the promotion of the social and solidarity economy for sustainable development, which marked the precedent of the alliance between Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Spain, Chile, Cuba and Mexico, who were linked with the objective of working together to promote the social and solidarity economy.

According to the Resolution, it is stated that the social and solidarity economy can contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its adaptation to the local context in the social and solidarity economy contributes to more inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

The Ibero-American Network for the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy (RIFESS), materialized through the signing of the agreement at the Conference held on January 29, 30 and 31 of this year, began its collaborative work to “promote, encourage, support and strengthen democracy and social justice in the region, with a view to promoting sustainable economic and social development,” as expressed by the Government of Mexico on its official website.

Network Challenges

Based on data from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the region closed a decade with an annual growth rate of only 0.8% between 2014 and 2023. A figure lower than the 2.0% achieved in the “lost decade” of the 1980s. This is why Marco Llinás, Director of the Productive and Business Development Division of ECLAC, in his virtual participation in the Conference for the formation of RIFESS, explains that this problem of low growth is a consequence of stagnant productivity in this Last period.

As a result of this, Llinás adds that ECLAC insists that its member countries increase their efforts in terms of productive development policies, mainly in their collaborative work between the public and private sectors, academia and civil society. to address the critical points that limit the capacity for productive transformation of the different economies of the region.

“We understand that these efforts in terms of productive development must occur from the territories, with local actors and it is in that context that we see great opportunities for synergy between the agendas that are worked on in terms of social and solidarity economy with the agendas that will have to be work on productive development,” he indicated. Furthermore, he expressed that ECLAC wishes this Network every success and that they see great work opportunities to strengthen the social and solidarity economy in order to strengthen productive development policies on our continent.

Based in Mexico City, in the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government, the work of REFESS began, through debates, forums and conversations focused on the social and solidarity economy, this with the purpose of set the guidelines of the alliance.