The International Labour Organization (ILO) organized on January 19 a conference, gathering representatives of the public and private sectors, around a round table on the role of the social and solidarity economy in the development of decent working conditions and sustainable development.

The round table was moderated by François Bonnici, Director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and Head of Social Innovation at the World Economic Forum. Also present were the Director General of the ILO, Gilbert Houngbo, the founder of One Family Fundation and Catalyst 2030, Jeroo Bilmoria, the Chief Marketing & Solutions Officer of SAP, Julia White, and the Tunisian Prime Minister, Najla Bouden.

The panellists evoked the resolution on decent work and SSE, adopted by the ILO on June 10, 2022, establishing a definition of SSE and the role that governments and social partners have to play in the sector. Gilbert Houngbo emphasized the importance of the values and founding principles of SSE, and highlighted the role of this sector in helping vulnerable people, including women, youth, and people with disabilities, to transition from the informal to the formal economy.

The Tunisian Prime Minister concluded the roundtable by talking about the role of SSE in Tunisia, particularly with regard to youth employment and women’s empowerment. In 2020, the country adopted a new policy concerning this sector, with the collaboration of the ILO.