Annual Forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice
The human rights economy: Global Coalition partners highlight the role of the social and solidarity economy
Partners highlighted the social and solidarity economy (SSE) as a key driver of decent work, social justice and the human rights economy at a high-level event during the Global Coalition for Social Justice Annual Forum.
19 June 2025
GENEVA (ILO News) – On 12 June 2025, the ILO-led Global Coalition for Social Justice held its annual forum in the margins of the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC). One of the key topics addressed at this year’s Forum was the Human Rights Economy (HRE). A high-level partners’ conversation explored how the HRE can provide a framework and operational approach to embed human rights into economic and social policymaking.
The discussion brought together high-level government officials and representatives from UN agencies, employers’ and workers’ organizations and civil society. The social and solidarity economy (SSE) was highlighted as a critical lever for making the human rights economy a reality.
Georges Mischo, Minister of Labour of Luxembourg, emphasized the role of stakeholders in the social economy in promoting social justice, environmental responsibility and sustainability. He noted that social economy enterprises contribute to social justice by creating job opportunities for those most excluded from the labour market, and by providing affordable solutions in areas such as education, housing and health. They also address inequalities and combat all forms of discrimination while adopting sustainable practices that preserve resources for future generations.
“In a world facing increasing inequality, it is imperative to create a conducive environment for the social economy and social innovation,” he said. He mentioned that Luxembourg hosted the first Global Government Summit in April 2025, which resulted in tangible commitments, including a joint declaration on shaping the future of social innovation to advance more just, inclusive, and sustainable societies. “A human rights economy is not a moral supplement or a utopia”, he concluded.
Adriana Martins, Head of the Social Issues Division at Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared insights from Brazil’s G20 presidency, which prioritized inclusive growth and the realization of social rights, alongside efforts to combat poverty and hunger. She underlined the need for ambitious sustainability policies and highlighted the solidarity economy as a key response to the challenges posed by the growth of unemployment and informality. “The solidarity economy fosters solidarity and respect for the planet, people and a culture of peace,” she said.
Magdalena Sepúlveda, Director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), pointed to the erosion of trust and increasing polarization as symptoms of failing economic structures. A human rights economy, she explained, puts people and the planet at the centre of decision-making, anchoring all economic, fiscal, monetary and investment policies within the framework of internationally recognized human rights. She outlined core principles of the Human Rights Economy, including prioritizing human development, addressing inequalities, and promoting a just and sustainable economy.
Another core principle, she stressed, is the advancement of alternative economic models, such as the SSE, which challenge the dominant extractive growth paradigm by fostering collective well-being, ecological sustainability and social justice.
Santosh Kumar, Director of Legislation at the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), reaffirmed the longstanding partnership between the ICA and the ILO, dating back to 1919. Speaking on behalf of SSE partners, he referred to the recent report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth, which calls for a shift away from profit-driven models that result in inequality and exclusion, and towards a human rights economy within planetary boundaries. The report identifies the SSE as a first priority in this transition.
He welcomed the ILC Resolution concerning the Second World Summit for Social Development, 2025, which commits to promoting an enabling environment for SSE entities. He emphasized the vital role of the SSE in advancing decent work in the care economy, supporting the transition from the informal to the formal economy, enabling a just transition to environmental sustainability, and fostering an inclusive digital transformation. To fully realize this potential, Kumar called for concrete measures including capacity-building and facilitated access to finance, especially to strengthen SSE entities to better support disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.
He concluded by highlighting the values at the heart of the SSE—democratic governance, solidarity, and sustainability—and acknowledged the leadership of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on SSE (UNTFSSE), the UN Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), and particularly the ILO Cooperative, SSE (COOP/SSE) Unit, for their ongoing support to cooperatives and the broader SSE.
Toni Moore, General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union and workers’ representative for the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) at the session urged the upcoming World Summit for Social Development to deliver an ambitious outcome that could strengthen multilateral action and help make the human rights economy a reality. She emphasized the importance of social dialogue and social partnership to translate HRE principles into practice.
In her closing remarks Moore commended the partners’ emphasis on the SSE as a critical lever for achieving the HRE. Referring to the work of the ILO’s COOP/SSE Unit, she highlighted the importance of the SSE as a cross-cutting issue. She noted that it is fundamental to continue to work closely with ILO constituents and partners toward the realization of the human rights-based economy.
As the partners’ contributions during the session reaffirmed, the SSE is not only aligned with the principles of a human rights economy, but also central to its realization. From creating decent work opportunities and promoting inclusion to driving sustainability and solidarity, the SSE offers concrete pathways to achieve social justice. Strengthening support for SSE entities—through enabling policy environments, social dialogue, and dedicated investment—is key to building a future of work that is inclusive, rights-based and people-centred.
Watch the recording of the event: Partners conversation - Human rights economy