For the first time, the 63rd session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development (CSocD63), held from 5 to 14 February 2025, featured a dedicated session on the role of cooperatives and the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). The multi-stakeholder panel, Promoting Solidarity and Social Cohesion through Cooperatives and the Social and Solidarity Economy as a Path to Achieving the SDGs, highlighted the continued expansion of cooperatives and SSE enterprises, reinforcing their contributions to national efforts toward sustainable development. Moderated by Konstantinos Papadakis, Principal Social Affairs Officer, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the panel featured distinguished speakers including representatives of Mongolia, Paraguay and France.
H.E. Carlos Jorge Paris Ferraro, Vice Minister of Social Policies from Paraguay, highlighted the deep historical roots of social and solidarity economy (SSE) values in Paraguay, particularly within indigenous communities. Today, the SSE spans multiple sectors, contributing approximately 12% of the national GDP. In 2024, the Ministry of Social Development established a dedicated SSE department to support sectoral growth and foster partnerships with academia.
Ankhbayar Nyamdorj, Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the UN, underscored Mongolia’s long-standing commitment to the cooperative movement at the international level, dating back to 1969 as the main sponsor of UNGA resolutions on cooperatives and the SSE. He referenced a forthcoming ILO assessment on Mongolia and outlined recent policy initiatives, including the creation of the National Committee on the Intersectoral Cohesion of the New Cooperative Movement under the Deputy Prime Minister. Mongolia has also invested over $200 million in loans benefiting more than 20,000 herders, alongside ongoing capacity-building programs and information campaigns. Looking ahead, he emphasized the importance of regional engagement, youth involvement, and exploring public-private partnerships.
Maxime Baduel, Ministerial Delegate for the Social and Solidarity Economy from France, emphasized the SSE’s role in addressing global challenges. He reaffirmed the significance of SSE resolutions in defining the sector at the international level and reinforcing its contribution to sustainable development. He also noted the EU’s regional agenda for SSE development. In France, the SSE accounts for 10% of GDP, 14% of private employment, and engages 22 million volunteers. He stressed that the SSE does not aim to replace public or private initiatives but serves as a vital grassroots force and a resource for public action.
During the interactive debate, government representatives and other stakeholders discussed practical strategies such as developing supportive legal frameworks, promoting comprehensive and internationally comparable statistics for the SSE, integrating SSE principles into educational curricula and research agendas, and enhancing the participation of SSE actors in national and global policymaking. The insights and recommendations emerging from this forum will inform broader global discussions at the 2025 High-Level Political Forum and help shape a renewed consensus at the upcoming Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha.
The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), a COPAC member, was represented at the session by its Director of Policy, Joseph Njuguna, who emphasized the essential role of cooperatives in advancing social justice, empowering communities, and reducing inequalities. Mr. Njuguna highlighted ICA’s efforts to mobilize cooperative leaders through a Global Cooperative Charter and Commitment Plan and the IYC National Mechanisms which demonstrate how cooperatives can collaborate with governments, the UN, and other stakeholders to implement social policies, reduce inequalities, and strengthen economic democracy—contributing to accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“The International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025) is a testament of the UN’s and global recognition of cooperatives’ critical role in sustainable development, social inclusion, and economic resilience. We look forward to deepening partnerships with the UN, governments, and key stakeholders to expand the impact of cooperatives, particularly through national mechanisms supporting the IYC2025 initiatives.”
- Joseph Njuguna, Director of Policy, ICA).
In closing the discussion, Konstantinos Papadakis (Principal Social Affairs Officer, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN DESA), emphasized the importance of specific legal frameworks for fostering the growth of this SSE sector, the development of comprehensive, internationally comparable statistics on SEE, education and capacity-building supporting the SSE, and engagement of SSE actors in national policymaking processes, as critical to its success. Finally, he noted the important link between cooperatives and SSE enterprises to the forthcoming United Nations Social Summit. “As we are heading towards the Second World Social Summit in Doha, actions to promote the SSE and cooperatives will be key to addressing gaps in the implementation of the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration, but also in aligning our efforts with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
Following this event, COPAC published a brief in commemoration of World Day of Social Justice, titled “Cooperatives as Engines of Social Justice: Strengthening Social Inclusion and Cohesion through the Cooperative Model.” The brief builds upon the forum’s themes of social inclusion and cohesion while underscoring cooperatives’ unique capability to embed democratic governance, collective ownership, and community empowerment principles in their enterprise operations.
To view the full session recording, concept note, and speakers’ bios, see here.
