Article from the Portal de la Economía Solidaria, REAS, Red de Redes; 2 February 2021
The Social and Solidarity Economy is highlighted as an alternative growth model in the UN Secretary General’s Report on “Socially just transition towards sustainable development: the role of digital technologies on social development and well-being of all”.
The report was published ahead of the upcoming 59th session of the Commission for Social Development.
As published by the International Labour Organization, in the report (available in English | French | Spanish | Russian | Arabic | Chinese) the UN Secretary-General addresses the need for a socially just transition towards more inclusive, equitable, resilient and sustainable development. It provides an analysis of policies to be adopted and actions to be taken to that end. The report highlights the role of digital technologies in promoting social development and well-being for all. It pays particular attention to disadvantaged, marginalised and vulnerable groups and communities and contains recommendations on how countries can make further progress on these issues.
In adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Member States committed to achieving sustainable development for all nations and people in all segments of society. The Agenda is based on the ideals of inclusiveness and shared prosperity and Member States pledged to leave no one behind and to strive to reach those furthest behind first. With 10 years to achieve the 2030 Agenda, addressing the interlinkages between the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development will require pursuing a socially just transition that is people-centred and based on the principles of social justice.
The economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have a dramatic impact on social development and welfare worldwide. The crisis risks reversing decades of progress in the fight against poverty and exacerbating existing inequalities. At the same time, the COVID-19 crisis requires rethinking existing socio-economic policy frameworks in order to “build back better”. This has sparked a global dialogue on ways out of the crisis to build more inclusive and equitable societies by aligning policy frameworks with the overall vision and goals of the 2030 Agenda.
The report highlights the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) “as an alternative growth model aimed at finding a new balance between economic efficiency and social and environmental resilience (…) By empowering people through greater control over decision-making processes and resources, the SSE fosters economic dynamism, social and environmental protection and socio-political empowerment”.
The debate on this priority theme will take place during the 59th session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD59), which will take place from 8 to 17 February 2021.
