Description
The social and solidarity economy has gained strong political momentum around the world and will play an even greater role in the future. National and local governments recognise the critical contribution of social economy organisations to economic and inclusive growth and sustainable development. The social and solidarity economy typically covers a wide variety of legal and organisational forms. Almost all countries have some form of legislation governing social economy organisations: associations, co-operatives, mutual organisations and foundations. Some countries, including 16 EU countries, have introduced specific legal frameworks to support the development of social enterprises, which are also part of the social economy. Legal frameworks can have a significant impact on the visibility, recognition, credibility and development of the field and can facilitate application of targeted public support schemes (financial and non-financial, tax incentives, etc.). This session will showcase new OECD work on how to leverage the potential of the social and solidarity economy through legal frameworks to achieve strategic priorities such as social inclusion, job creation and green transition, and share experience from leading experts, policy makers and practitioners in the field.
Key questions:
• To what extent can legal frameworks help the recognition and visibility of the social and solidarity economy?
• Do we absolutely need legal frameworks to build a strategic vision for the development of the social and solidarity economy?
• What other strategies besides legal frameworks are used to promote the social and solidarity economy?
