Workshop Explores Social and Solidarity Economy's Role in Asia-Pacific Development

According to Akkanut Wantanasombut from Chulalongkorn University, SSE represents a business framework that prioritizes stakeholders over shareholders, benefits over profits, and collaboration over compromise.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) convened a landmark workshop in Bangkok on 18-19 June 2024, illuminating the pivotal role of Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) entities in fostering inclusive and sustainable development across Asia and the Pacific. Policymakers, workers' organizations, employers, and practitioners from the region participated in the event titled "Social and Solidarity Economy for Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in Asia", marking the first high-level discussion since the adoption of SSE Resolutions by the International Labour Conference and the UN in 2022 and 2023.

Funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea, the workshop highlighted SSE's contributions to decent work and sustainable development in the region, emphasizing findings from country studies in Cambodia, Mongolia, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

Ms. Panudda Boonpala, ILO's Deputy Regional Director, underscored the workshop's timeliness in supporting countries seeking to adopt and implement SSE policies to achieve sustainable development goals. She noted that while SSE principles of solidarity, reciprocity, and mutual aid are deeply embedded in the region's cultures, awareness of SSE remains limited, hindering coordinated support from public authorities.

According to Akkanut Wantanasombut from Chulalongkorn University, SSE represents a business framework that prioritizes stakeholders over shareholders, benefits over profits, and collaboration over compromise.

The workshop featured practitioners sharing successful SSE practices, discussing legislative frameworks, policy recommendations, and the SSE's contributions to inclusive and sustainable supply chains. It also addressed the transition of informal workers to the formal economy and efforts toward environmentally sustainable societies.

Delegates from Cambodia, Mongolia, Thailand, and Viet Nam developed national action plans during the workshop to strengthen SSE within their countries. The event drew over 100 in-person participants from diverse sectors and regions, supported by an additional 150 online attendees, including representatives from SSE bodies, researchers, and practitioners, as well as the ILO and UN ESCAP.

The workshop represents a significant step toward enhancing visibility and understanding of SSE in the region and underscores its potential to drive inclusive economic growth and social resilience.