On 19th May 2025, the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS) and the Technical Working Group on Financial Access and Support for SSE entities of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE), hosted a webinar on“Mainstreaming the social and solidarity economy in the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4)” with the collaboration of the Ibero-American Network for the Promotion of Social and Solidarity Economy (RIFESS)[1], the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy and the Second Vice Presidency of Spain, the Special Administrative Unit of Solidarity Organizations from Ministry of Labor of Colombia. More than 250 persons registered for the event.

Following the operational paragraph 3 of the  United Nations Resolution 77/281 and operational paragraphs 3 and 5, in the follow-up UN resolution 79/213, RIPESS has been engaged in the Intergovernmental preparatory committees through the Civil Society Financing for Development (FfD) Mechanism (CS FfD Mechanism). Since the previous FfD3 in 2015, significant progress has been made, not only with the two UN resolutions, but also through ILO resolutions and SSE plans and strategies adopted by the OECD, the European Union and the African Union. The creation of the RIFESS network, by Ibero-American countries, further reinforces this momentum. NOW is a unique opportunity to ensure the inclusion of the SSE in the FfD4 outcome document and its follow-up. The event featured the current negotiations as of mid-May, reviewing progress with Member States and civil society organizations advocating for the inclusion of SSE: the advances of EU to integrate SSE inputs in the negotiated text, the proposals drafted by RIPESS and adopted in the document presented by the CS FfD Mechanism, as well as the advances from Colombia and the efforts of the African Union to engage in f these discussions. The webinar was also the opportunity to share practical ways to optimally scale up financing of SSE, especially in developing countries, based on the report of the Technical Working Group: Strengthening Access to Finance and Support for SSE entities: a collection of good practices” and the presentation of the concept note: Implementing UN recommendations for SSE financing: Proposals for an intermediary organizational approach”. Both documents will be published soon.

The session opened with remarks from Dr. Chantal Line Carpentier, Coordinator of the Technical Working Group on Financial Access and Support for SSE entities of the UNTFSSE and Head of the Trade, Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainable Development Branch at UNCTAD. She gave a quick introduction on how and why SSE can be a means of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and a source of funding for development. Following this introduction, Ms. Sandra Moreno Cadena, Executive Secretary of RIPESS gave an overview of the state of the negotiations and the strategies that RIPESS has been leading in the Technical Working Group towards the recognition of SSE in the final outcome of the FfD4. RIPESS, as member of the CS FfD Mechanism has proposed the inclusion of social and solidarity economy (SSE) entities and ecosystems through increased access to affordable finance and skills development with special attention given to support women-owned and women-led businesses, as well as appropriate ways to support the social and solidarity economy, including through existing and new financial instruments and mechanisms adapted to all stages of development.

The discussion transitioned to a second part with the interventions of the government representatives, moderated by Dr. Chantal Line Carpentier.

  • Ms. Mónica Colomer, Ambassador at Large for Financing for Development from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, congratulated the organisers for such a pertinent discussion at such an opportune moment; emphasized SSE as one of the key tools for sustainable development and how it has been promoted all through the FfD4 process; she presented the efforts from Spain towards the organisation of FfD4 in Sevilla as a key moment in a critical time with a shortfall of 4 billion US dollars to finance the 2030 agenda; showed some key statistics with 3.3 billion people who live in countries that spend more on debt services than on education or health but as well as an important moment to show why we need to stand for multilateralism and international development cooperation. She provided details on the Sevilla Platform of Action as part of the follow up of FfD4, highlighted the need to go beyond GDP measures, and concluded with the fact that SSE as a global agenda, could be an example that unites people allowing for variable geometry alliances beyond regional or border limits and this should be reflected through political will from countries in the final outcomes.
  • Mr. Jaime Iglesias, Spain’s Special Commissioner for Social Economy, recalled the contribution of Spain regarding both UNGA resolutions and the creation of the Ibero-American network of governments for SSE (RIFESS), and continued collaboration in promoting the SSE through the implementation of several financial and legal frameworks for public policies in the EU. He stressed the big opportunity that represents Sevilla for the recognition of SSE in the international financial architecture with dual function of receiving and providing financial support and the establishment of specific mechanisms for this purpose.
  • Mr. Maxime Baduel, Ministerial Delegate for the Social and Solidarity Economy, Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of France, highlighted the role of SSE in terms of inclusive and participatory economies, reducing poverty and informality, and the fact that SSE entities are more resilient than conventional enterprises. He emphasized that SSE is a key driver in structuring social innovation in territories. It is also a “political project”, fostering “economic citizenship” and a key resource to improve public policies. He highlighted the important role that financing from Public Development Bankscan playsupporting SSE ecosystems and the “hybridization” of financing SSE with other partners.
  • Mr. Mauricio Rodriguez, National Director of the Special Administrative Unit of Solidarity Organizations from the Ministry of Labor of the Colombian Government and Coordinator of the Ibero-American Network of Governments for the Promotion of the SSE (RIFESS), noted that the Ministry of Labor has endorsed the engagements towards UNTFSSE and UN resolutions and it had undertaken successful consultations with the Foreign Affairs Minister to include SSE inside the FfD4 negotiations. He also brought points of discussion on the role of SSE perspectives to address problems of migration, inequalities, climate change, energy transition, and economic transformation towards new models of development.
  • Mr. Sabelo Mbokazi, Head of Labour, Employment & Migration Division at the African Union, provided insights on the fact that 400,000 SSE entities in Africa were providing services to 15 million people, showing why they deserve financial support, removing structural barriers to their capacity to deliver in addition to the diversity of their business models. He mentioned that the African Union has adopted a ten-year strategy on the SSE, which seeks to strengthen the role of the SSE throughout Africa, by means of a human-centered economic model focused on social justice and decent work. For this plan to take effect, a key barrier is access to adequate financing
  • Mr. Ali Hasan, Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations was unable to attend due to the busy agenda of the FfD4 in New York; the importance of G77 support was emphasized during the session.

The presentations reflected significant progress and a strong commitment to mainstreaming the SSE into Financing for Development process and the achievement of the 2030 agenda. Both this event and the different documents and reports issued on this theme by the UNTFSSE and RIPESS, are demonstrations that progress made but is also a call to action for governments, UN agencies, and financial institutions to support the recognition of SSE in the renewed international financial architecture and mechanisms. 

The interventions concluded with the presentation of Mr. Victor Messeguer, Deputy Director General of Abacus Cooperative and former International Consultant on SSE with UNCTAD on good practices of financing SSE entities, summarizing the key elements to be introduced in the FfD4 process, as he has explained in the taxonomy of the different SSE movements and entities and the myriad of different legal frameworks from around 30 countries around the world; and Mr. Yvon Poirier, Special advisor on advocacy and governance at RIPESS, who introduced a key component for implementing the UN resolutions on SSE through the creation of intermediary mechanisms at the country level, designed and managed by organizations at the national and local levels.

Ms. Simel Esim, Chair of the UNTFSSE and Head of the Cooperative Social and Solidarity Economy Unit at the ILO, made closing remarks, highlighting various priorities that emerged from the discussion and included in the UNTFSSE Policy Brief “Financing for development: Unlocking the potential of the social and solidarity economy”, prepared by the Secretariat of the UNTFSSE by the ILO. She outlined five priority areas for action aimed at: (1) recognizing the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) alongside MSMEs in the global financing for development agenda; (2) ensuring that multilateral and national development banks provide tailored, ecosystem-strengthening financial instruments for the SSE; (3) fostering a conducive policy and financial environment that integrates SSE institutions into national development and transition strategies; (4) expanding the role of SSE entities as financial service providers reaching underserved communities, particularly in the Global South; and (5) embedding the SSE in both the outcome document and follow-up mechanisms of FfD4, including monitoring, financing, and reporting frameworks.

The webinar echoed a strong call for action from governments, UN agencies, and financial institutions to support the recognition and advancement of the SSE within international financial mechanisms.  Only through inclusive, participatory and intersectional policies centered on people and the planet can we move towards a truly sustainable and equitable development models.  We invite civil society organizations, governments, UN agencies and other stakeholders to continue this dialogue by joining the side-event co-organized by RIPESS, UNTFSEE and the Global Fund for Cities Development (FMDV) during the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Sevilla.

Please view the full recording of the event here.

Download the press release in PDF here.

[1]In January 2024, the Governments of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico and Spain established the Ibero-American Network for the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy (RIFESS), which Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Paraguay and Portugal subsequently joined.