(EN/FR) The social and solidarity economy inspires new ways of thinking, promotes innovation, and supports inclusive transitions. It is a valued ally for governments to address the issues that confront our nations, regions, and cities. It is at the forefront of assisting refugees, supporting the green transition, tackling housing and food security issues, providing goods and services, and creating jobs, including for the disadvantaged. It frequently provides novel answers to both old and new problems and inspires businesses to adopt more socially responsible practices. In this session, ministers and high-level officials from international organisations will reflect on the historic political momentum around the social economy, its transformative power and how it supports inclusive growth and fair transitions.

(EN/FR) More women than men are employed by the social economy, which boasts a smaller gender gap in both pay and leadership. The wider economy could use this as inspiration. At the same time, in many countries, the largest share of social economy employment is in so called pink-collar jobs (i.e., jobs in areas traditionally ascribed to women such as childcare, education, personal and household services or social work), which means there is an opportunity for social economy organisations to create tech and green jobs for women. Policy initiatives to help the social economy further promote gender equality could also inspire the wider economy. This session will share new OECD evidence on women and the social economy, dive into its role in advancing gender equality in pay and working conditions and discuss how it helps marginalised workers to find their path into the labour market. Panellists will discuss: • How is the social economy helping to advance gender equality? • What lessons can the wider economy draw from the social economy? • How can siloes be broken to offer opportunities for women in green and digital careers in and through the social economy?

(EN/FR) The social economy is helping to repair and transform societies and economies around the globe. By embracing a social mission and putting people over profit, the social economy inspires new ways of thinking and new business models that support inclusive growth and the environment. Where do we see its potential for the future? What is required to move the social economy forward? In this session ambassadors will share their visions for the future of the social economy.

(EN/FR) How can the social economy partner with the public and private sectors to find innovative and creative solutions to the most pressing issues of our time? The social economy has potential for global impact, which transcends the usual economic and social lines, and puts social impact at the heart of its mission. This session will be the occasion for an innovative and inspirational thought leader to share their vision of the future and reflect on possible roles for the social economy to address challenges, build resilience against future shocks, and create opportunities for sustainable and inclusive economic and social development.

(EN/FR) Countries may use different terms to refer to the social economy, building on context and history. Putting in place legal frameworks can support the visibility, recognition, and development of the social economy. There is significant diversity in how countries have developed legal frameworks, and it may not always be clear to policy makers when and how to best regulate. This session will highlight how legal frameworks can be drivers for the development of the social economy and discuss success factors and pitfalls to avoid when designing them. The discussion will be supported by findings from the OECD international guide on legal frameworks for the social economy, which will be launched during the session. After a presentation of the Guide by the OECD, the panel will discuss the following questions: • How can legal frameworks support the development of the social economy? • What are the core steps to successfully design and implement legal frameworks for the social and solidarity economy? And what can they do when there is no legislation? • How can the OECD Guide help policy makers at the national, regional and local levels to adopt legal frameworks that support the social economy?

(EN only) The social economy is becoming more visible but gathering of information on its scale and impact has been limited. Data on the social economy is crucial to guide policies that support it. Building on OECD’s ongoing work on qualitative and quantitative data, this workshop will explore current trends in developing statistics from the social economy to better understand the state of the social economy across different countries. The workshop will be structured as follows: • Practitioner & policy maker to speak of their experience • Groups to spend time on discussing 2-3 key questions and prepare highlights • Groups organise to report back

(EN/FR) Public and private procurement practices take into account social and environmental implications. Procurement is an important channel for social economy actors to gain access to public and private markets and is a strategic tool for the private and public sector to achieve social goals. This workshop will explore the social procurement space as a way to integrate social economy entities better into markets while providing access to goods and services with social impact. The workshop will be structured as follows: • Practitioner & policy maker to speak of their experience • Groups to spend time on discussing 2-3 key questions and prepare highlights • Groups organise to report back

(EN /FR) With growing acknowledgement for their positive impact, social economy entities are facing more pressure from buyers, funders and donors to collect and present evidence of this impact. Quantitative or qualitative, sometimes beneficial impact cannot be precisely measured and requires a crosscutting evaluative approach. This pressure on social economy entities also drives them to maximise their own social impact by effectively allocating resources, learning from experimentation and increasing stakeholder participation and collaboration. This session will highlight the importance of social impact measurement for the development of the social economy. OECD research on social impact measurement practices across countries has identified the best methodologies to capture the social benefits of the social economy. Speakers will discuss the state of social impact measurement, its challenges and potential. This session will also serve as a launch event for the OECD international guide and host a discussion on how to make social impact measurement accessible to all. Following a presentation of the guide by the OECD, the panel will discuss: • Why does social impact measurement matter? • What are the challenges policy makers face when supporting social impact measurement in the social economy? • How can the OECD policy guide help national, regional, and local level policy makers support social impact measurement for the social economy?

(EN/FR) The social economy can help make the digital transition more fair, inclusive for people and places, and delivers on both its economic and social potential. Social economy organisation initiatives, such as platform cooperatives can support a more responsible, just and inclusive digital transition. Together with other approaches such as digital commons, they can also encourage the implementation of more people-centred approaches, putting users’, workers’ and other stakeholders’ needs and interests first and helping to create and to keep locally created value in local communities. This session will discuss the relevance of the social economy in supporting the digital transition while ensuring inclusive participation in the labour market (through training, re-skilling, up-skilling, etc.), positive social impact for individuals and communities and meaningful partnerships with social actors and public authorities. Panellists will discuss: • How can the social and solidarity economy address the challenges of the digital transition and deliver on key outcomes? • How can models such as platform cooperatives support the transition to a fairer, more transparent and more inclusive digital world and foster social innovation? • How can policy makers best support the social economy in doing so?

(EN/FR) Social economy organisations have been building green value chains for decades, promoting activities to mitigate the consequences of climate change. As business models are required to incorporate sustainability objectives and increase local collaborations, social economy entities can address these new needs, enabling inclusion and participation of diverse stakeholders in the green transition. Thus, by reinforcing the role of the social economy in the green transition our economies and societies can benefit from a wider favourable impact on individuals, communities, and places. This session will discuss the progress the social economy is bringing to the green transition. Panellists will discuss: • How is the social economy supporting a fair and inclusive green transition and what can policy do to strengthen it? • What role does the social economy play in the circular economy? • What can the mainstream economy learn from the social economy to further propel the green transition?

(EN/FR) Cities are on the frontlines of dealing with interconnected challenges, from working with associations to provide food and housing to the poor to partnering with organisations to find jobs for refuges and make public services greener. Cities are the most affected by a variety of social issues, including long existing ones (e.g. income inequalities, unemployment among disadvantaged groups, poverty) and those arising out of the current crises such as climate change, refugees, economic downturn, food security, housing, etc. Social economy entities have long provided locally rooted solutions for these social problems. Cities are also at the forefront of implementing policy measures to support their communities and citizens through the social economy. This session will explore the role of local authorities in developing a collaborative and enabling space for social economy actors. The panel will address the potential of bottom-up, coordinated solutions and partnerships to unlock the potential of social economy at the local level, especially in a time of significant change. The panel will discuss: • What role can the social economy play in helping mayors respond to shocks to better address longstanding challenges and prepare for future transitions? • What are cities already doing to support the social economy in this role? • What are the lessons learned from current and past collaborations between cities and social and solidarity economy actors?

(EN/FR) Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. They imagine futures that are more prosperous, more equitable and more resilient. They advocate for social change, innovation and inclusiveness on a regular basis, and aspire to participate in activities and jobs that have social impact. Yet, they are often the first hit in times of crisis and economic downturns. The social economy can engage youth, including by fostering social cohesion and offering meaningful employment. In this closing session youth representatives will discuss the needs of young people and the next generation, what they expect from policy makers and how the social economy and social innovation can help get us there. It is followed by closing remarks from CFE and the EC’s Foreign Policy Instruments