EURICSE appointed as observer in the UN Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy

A recognition of the Trentino research center’s international work

Euricse has been admitted as observer to the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (TFSSE) founded in Geneva in 2013 to raise the visibility of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) both within the United Nations and beyond. As observer, Euricse will actively participate in the Task Force’s debates, and will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the topics discussed. This recognition is even more significant in anticipation of the international workshop that Euricse is organizing in Trento in November on behalf of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on financial instruments for the social and solidarity economy.

Euricse was officially presented as observer in the UN Task Force today during a meeting in Geneva, in which Euricse’s General Secretary, Gianluca Salvatori, participated. Euricse has been admitted to the TFSSE in light of the center’s ongoing international work and frequent relationships with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) and many other international agencies. Euricse has recently written two research reports for the ILO on social and solidarity economy, with a focus on future challenges in the world of work and innovative financial mechanisms for SSE development.

The TFSSE brings together UN agencies and other inter-governmental organizations, as well as umbrella associations of SSE networks as members and observers. Task Force activities include organizing events at UN and other international conferences, dialoguing with policy makers, preparing and disseminating publications through the newly created Knowledge Hub, and engaging in collaborative projects involving the TFSSE members and observers. The most recent achievement was the launch of the Knowledge Hub, a platform that gathers research on the potential of the SSE for the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) put forward by the 2030 Agenda.

Euricse’s presence in the TFSSE is even more significant in anticipation of the international workshop that the research center is organizing in Trento from the 18th to 20th of November on behalf of the ILO, which will see the involvement of many international experts on financial tools for the SSE. During that same week, the Task Force will also gather in Trento.

“The relevance of the SSE is expanding beyond the niche in which it is usually confined and the UN is playing a lead role in this area. For this reason, Euricse wanted to closely follow the work of the UN agencies engaged in the development of the social economy and we are proud that our positions and contributions were deemed useful. As observer in the Task Force we will be able to broaden our international approach and discuss our activities with a group of prominent experts”

Euricse Secretary General, Gianluca Salvatori

“We are certain that Euricse, thanks to the center’s long and varied experience in Europe and beyond, will lend an important contribution to the initiatives the Task Force is undertaking to enhance the visibility and recognition of the Social and Solidarity Economy at the international level”

Vic van Vuuren, UNTFSSE chair