A dialogue between Greek and international cooperative and SSE leaders

News | 27 September 2017
Vic Van Vuuren, Director, Enterprises Department, ILO
A one day seminar on "Cooperatives and the Social and Solidarity Economy in Greece and around the world" was held at the Agricultural University of Athens on September 23rd. The meeting brought together representatives of international, European and Greek cooperative and social and solidarity economy institutions. Organized by the KAPA network in Greece, the seminar focused on questions of boundaries, principles and values of cooperatives and social and solidarity economy organizations, the way social cooperatives and social enterprises are conceptualized in policy and legislation in European countries and ways international cooperation can be further activated to advance the enabling environment in Greece for cooperative and social and solidarity economy enterprises. The ILO’s Director of Enterprises Department participated in the event along with representatives of European organizations namely CECOP, Cooperatives Europe and Social Economy Europe.

Right to left; Mr Bruno Roelants, Secretary General of the International Organization of Industrial, Artisanal and Service Producers' Cooperatives (CICOPA), Ms Stefania Marcone, Vice President of Cooperatives Europe, Mr Victor Meseguer, Director of Social Economy Europe (SEE), Mr Vic Van Vuuren, Director, Enterprises Department, ILO and Dr Yiorgos Alexopoulos, AUA, Greek Institute of Cooperation, GECES Expert Group
In his presentation Mr Vic van Vuuren touched upon the work of the ILO on cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy enterprises. He also reflected on the role of the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) and the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE) which are currently being both chaired by the ILO. In addition to reflecting on the workshop questions, he shared the experiences of the ILO in improving the enabling environment for cooperatives and the social and solidarity economy including through research, policy advisory services and capacity building through development cooperation initiatives.