Momentum is building at the UN for the social and solidarity economy (SSE), with governments preparing a third General Assembly resolution on the sector, expected in 2027. Korea is positioning itself to help lead those discussions.
In late September, Korea's Minister of the Interior and Safety, Yun Ho-joong, joined ministers and senior officials from 14 countries at a High-Level Meeting on the SSE in New York, co-hosted by the UN and Spain during the General Assembly's High-Level Week.
The meeting reviewed the UN Secretary-General's report on Resolution 79/213, which promotes the SSE for sustainable development, and looked ahead to the next resolution. Many participants are members of the Group of Friends of the Social and Solidarity Economy, a group of 23 UN member states co-chaired by Brazil and Senegal, of which Korea is a founding member.
Minister Yun used the meeting to showcase Korea's own progress, including its Framework Act on Social Solidarity Economy and a comprehensive national plan for the sector.
Korea is also building partnerships with countries that have led the way on SSE legislation. Alongside the meeting, the Minister was scheduled to sign cooperation agreements with Spain, which in 2011 became the first European country to pass a Social Economy Act covering the whole sector, and Senegal, which adopted a Framework Law on the SSE in 2021 and has a dedicated ministry for it.
The agreement with Spain covers eight areas, including legal reform, joint research, measuring social value and social solidarity finance, and follows a similar deal with Italy in June. The partnership with Senegal aims to share policy experience and connect the social and solidarity economies of Asia and Africa.
The Minister also met UN DESA Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua to discuss expanding Korea's longstanding cooperation with DESA into the SSE.
"The government will continue to cooperate closely with member countries of the friendly group to do its utmost to ensure that the Republic of Korea plays a leading role in international discussions on the social solidarity economy," said Minister Yun.
