On June 21th, the International Labour Organization (ILO)  adopted the “ILO Centenary Declaration of the Future of Work 2019” during its 108th International Labour Conference. This declaration will mark a milestone since  it includes a clear commitment to promote Social Solidarity Economy (SSE) and cooperatives.

ILO recognizes that we are experiencing a profound transformations in the world of work and, they therefore make a commitment to work toward “social justice by further developing its human-centered approach to the future of work, which puts workers’ rights and the needs, aspirations and rights of all people at the heart of economic, social and environmental policies”.

As part of the efforts to reach this objective, ILO commits to direct its effort “to supporting the role of the private sector as a principal source of economic growth and job creation by promoting an enabling environment for entrepreneurship and sustainable enterprises, in particular micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as cooperatives and the social and solidarity economy, in order to generate decent work, productive employment and improved living standards for all”.

RIPESS welcomes this commitment to SSE in the Declaration. The SSE, as an alternative economic practice to capitalism, is key to achieving the objectives set by the ILO Declaration to improve the quality of life and provide decent employment for people. In SSE, ordinary people play an active role in shaping all of the dimensions of human life and in all sectors of the economy. It also aims to transform the social and economic system that includes public, private and third sectors.

For this reason, the ILO’s commitment to include  SSE and cooperatives in this Declaration is a very important step that brings us closer to a better future for millions of workers around the world.

The “ILO Centenary Declaration of the Future of Work 2019” was adopted on the occasion of the 100 years of existence of the ILO. As an organization is governed by a unique tripatride structure of by governments, employers and trade unions, they have promoted the Centenary Initiative “The Future of Work” in order to understand and to respond effectively to new challenges and with the objective to advance its mandate for social justice.

Related info:

Cooperatives & Social Solidarity Economy – Responses to key issues in the report of the Global Commission on the Future of Work

This note was prepared by the Cooperatives Unit in the Enterprises Department of the ILO. It provides reflections on the role of cooperatives and the wider social and solidarity economy on the key issues included in the Report of the Global Commission on the Future of Work.