Photo credit ILO
At the VI World Forum for Local Economic Development held from April 1 to 4, 2025 in Sevilla, the ILO highlighted the transformative role of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) in fostering sustainable development, resilience, quality care services, youth employment, and financial inclusion. The ILO presented proven strategies, approaches, and global results, showcasing the vital role of the SSE in driving local economic development.
The ILO team, dedicated to advancing decent work through the SSE, actively engaged in the Sixth Edition of the World Forum for Local Economic Development (WFLED). The Forum convened representatives from over 60 countries, including local governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, international agencies, civil society, and academia. This global platform offered the opportunity to explore how territorial approaches and community-rooted solutions can advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Central to the Forum’s vision was the SSE, underscored as a catalyst for resilient, inclusive, and sustainable local development.
The ILO contributed to five SSE-related sessions, each demonstrating strategies and practical tools that empower local actors to implement transformative change through the SSE.
Tunisia : Youth employment through the SSE: Innovation rooted in local realities
In the session “Youth, Local Economy and Innovation,” Youssef Fennira, Project Manager of the ILO’s JEUN’ESS programme in Tunisia, shared an innovative approach to youth employment grounded in the SSE. He showcased how the project, implemented in Tunisia’s most vulnerable regions, used a bottom-up strategy to structure value chains tailored to local needs.
JEUN’ESS supported the creation of new SSE entities, reinforced existing ones, and facilitated market access. It brought together incubators, civil society organizations, public bodies, and financial institutions to co-create a support ecosystem for the SSE. As a result, more than 170 structures were created and over 3,600 decent jobs were generated. The JEUN’ESS model also inspired national-level dialogue, particularly with the banking sector, on how to better support youth and SSE actors. The session demonstrated that trust-building, local experimentation, and knowledge of territorial realities are key ingredients for sustainable youth inclusion.
Financing the SSE: From traditional models to modern strategies
During the session “Territorial Experiences of Alternative Financing for Micro, SMEs, and SSE,” Yousra Hamed, Financial Inclusion Specialist, illustrated how traditional community-based finance mechanisms—like Self Help Groups in India, Tontines in Senegal, and Daret in Morocco—embody enduring principles of participatory governance and mutual support that are foundational to SSE financing.
Recognizing that SSE entities often depend on short-term grants and lack tailored financial tools, Hamed emphasized the role of the ILO jointly with the financial sector to further support the development of SSE financial institutions, build the financial capabilities of SSE actors, and work with banks to better serve this sector.
TunisianMonitorOnline (NejiMed)
