The ILO has had a COOP Unit working on cooperatives and the wider social and solidarity economy (SSE) since 1920. ILO is the only part of the UN system with an explicit mandate on cooperatives. Cooperatives are mentioned in the ILO constitution. The ILO activities on cooperatives are guided by ILO Promotion of Cooperatives Recommendation, 2002 (No.193). More than 117 countries used R193 to revise their legislation and policies since then. The work of the Office on the wider SSE is guided by the resolution on decent work and the SSE that was adopted during the 110th ILC in June 2022, that introduced an international definition of the SSE.

The Office has developed a seven year (2023-29) Office-wide strategy and action plan (SAP). The three outcomes of the SAP are: 1) Improved understanding around the SSE through research, statistics and knowledge management; 2) Strengthened constituent capacities at the societal (macro), institutional (meso) and individual (micro) levels; and 3) Enhanced coherence at the policy (external), programmatic (internal) and budgetary (internal and external) levels.

• Simel Esim, Head of Unit
• Charlie Bodwell, Social and Solidarity Economy Specialist
• Dong Il Choi, Cooperatives and Social and Solidarity Economy Development Specialist
• Guy Tchami, Cooperatives Policy and Research Specialist
• Rayann Koudaih, Technical Officer, Cooperatives and SSE Development
• Gahhyun Uhm, JPO in Cooperatives and SSE statistics  
• Chinmay Gundlur, Intern
• Elizabeth Shaw, Intern
• Susan Bvumbe, Administrative Assistant

Contact us

coop@ilo.org