The research orientation session was held virtually on 17 March 2023 as part of the project on strengthening the social and solidarity economy in Asia - Phase 2. The objective was to inform and guide the national researchers in undertaking the mapping study on the social and solidarity economy landscape in Thailand and Vietnam.

Ms. Simel Esim, Manager of the Cooperatives, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit at the ILO introduced the first tripartite definition of the social and solidarity economy (SSE), as part of the Resolution concerning decent work and the social and solidarity economy agreed upon at the international level. She emphasized that it is the set of principles and values that give coherence to an understanding of the SSE beyond a list of institutional types. They are critical to contextualize the definition for the national specificities, respecting the diversity of the SSE. She also highlighted the significance of the research under the project as the first efforts in operationalizing the international definition of the SSE in national contexts.

Mr. Nguyen Son Ngoc, Programme Officer at the ILO Vietnam, gave an overview of the Vietnam Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 2022-26, a cooperation framework between the ILO and tripartite constituents, namely the governments, workers’, and employers’ organizations to address decent work challenges in Viet Nam. He highlighted the development of DWCP 2022-26, which was guided by the international standard on cooperatives, the ILO Recommendation on the Promotion of Cooperatives, 2002 (R.193), and the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, 2019 which recognizes the role of cooperatives and the social and solidarity economy in generating decent work, productive employment, and improved living standards for all.

Ms. Heejin Ahn, Technical Officer of Cooperatives Unit at the ILO provided an overview of the project, including its objectives, project activities, and research methodology and timeline.

Participants discussed the need for producing a report that would have concrete policy impact. They also underlined how best to have a national and contextualized definition of the SSE that are principles and values based.

The national advisory committee kick-off meetings will be held in Thailand and Vietnam in the coming months. The findings of the research will be shared in an international conference in November 2023 that will take place in Bangkok, Thailand.

Strengthening the social and solidarity economy in Asia – phase 2 project, funded by the Ministry of Employment and Labour, Republic of Korea aims to contribute heightened awareness on the SSE’s contribution to decent work and sustainable development, and create policy dialogue in five countries in Asia and the Pacific - Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Thailand, Vietnam.