Marking the World Day of Social Justice on 20 February 2026, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, the ILO-chaired United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE), and the ILO-led Global Coalition for Social Justice, has officially launched a joint policy brief on the advancing the human rights economy through the social and solidarity economy (SSE).
It explores how SSE entities - such as cooperatives, mutual societies, associations, foundations, and social enterprises - promote decent work, equitable resource distribution, care systems, gender equity, and climate resilience, all while prioritizing people and social purpose over profit. It identifies practical policy levers for governments, development partners and international partners to support the SSE as a key policy instrument for meaningful economic transformation.
"Backing the social and solidarity economy is one of the most impactful ways in which governments can address poverty without relying on growth-dependent strategies that deepen inequality and environmental harm."
Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
The policy brief contributes directly to the Roadmap for Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth - a set of post-growth policy proposals for poverty eradication being developed with UN agencies, civil society, trade unions and academic experts - examining how the SSE can translate its principles into action.
The brief was presented and launched by the UN Special Rapporteur and Simel Esim, Head of the ILO's Cooperative, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit and Chair of the UNTFSSE, at a public conference on the SSE in Turin, Italy.
Download here: Advancing a human rights economy through the social and solidarity economy: Pathways to the eradication of poverty beyond growth
