The International Labor Conference (ILC) of the International Labor Organization (ILO) started this week with almost 5,000 governments, employers and workers’ representatives registered to take part in hybrid discussions. Almost 3,000 of them are in Geneva.

A Surinamese tripartite delegation is participating in this ILC. The Vereniging Surinaams Bedrijfsleven (VSB) is being represented by our Deputy Director Mr. Kamlesh Ganesh. Mr. Ganesh is participating and contributing in the General Discussion Committee: Decent work and the social and solidarity economy (SSE). He was nominated by the International Labor Organization, and then selected by the General Discussion Committee to contribute in the drafting group of the conclusions on behalf of the Employers group. In this regard he is actively contributing to the employers group in preparing discussion points, formulating proposals and amendments to the conclusions of all the discussions that have been held in this Committee and will follow in the upcoming days. 

The ILC is a defining moment for tripartism & global leadership in a multilateral system, with an opportunity to reshape the economic & social landscape for decades to come. More than 5,000 governments, workers, and employers’ representatives from the ILO’s 187 Member States joined in Geneva and virtually.

This is the first time a comprehensive discussion on social solidarity economy has been held at an ILC. The Plan of Work of the Committee was composed of three segments:

1. general discussion in plenary of Committee around the suggested points for discussion;
2. preparation of the draft outcome document (Conclusions) of the Committee by the drafting group; and
3. discussion of amendments to the draft outcome document (Conclusions) in plenary of Committee.

The general discussion is based on Report VI – Decent work and the social and solidarity economy and on the suggested points for discussion. At its final sitting, the Committee is expected to adopt an outcome document (Conclusions) that will be submitted to the plenary of the Conference for adoption on 11 June.

Despite not being a new phenomenon, SSE’s momentum and policy importance have grown over the last decades, The ILO  Centenary Declaration acknowledges the role of the SSE among the private sector’s generators of “decent  work, productive employment and improved living standards for all”. It is important for Employers to engage in this general discussion as this represents the opportunity to influence and frame the future policy agenda of  the ILO regarding SSE. Additionally, the decisions taken will impact ILO’s normative and non-normative work  and the discussions at national level. 

This discussion is useful to clarify what is meant by SSE, which is a multifaceted term, encompassing many  different economic units, definitions, values, principles and specific forms that depend on the national, local,  and sectoral context. It is important to define the clear contours of the SSE phenomenon by starting from an  agreed universal definition and provide an enabling environment for the SSE that complement the ILO’s work  in promoting sustainable enterprises. 

Also as part of the delegation are Mr. Glenn Piroe, on behalf of the Ministry of Labor as leader of the delegation and Mr. Heinrich Rozen, on behalf of the trade unions.