Fifth Ordinary Session of The Specialized Technical Committee on Social Development, Labour and Employment (STC-SDLE-5) Theme: “Social Agenda 2063: Promoting Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) Ecosystems”

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July 29, 2024 to August 02, 2024

Fifth Ordinary Session of The Specialized Technical Committee on Social Development, Labour and Employment (STC-SDLE-5)

Theme: “Social Agenda 2063: Promoting Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) Ecosystems”

Where: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

When: Experts Meeting: 29-31 July 2024

Ministers Meeting: 01-02 August 2024)

The primary goal of the STC-SDLE is to evaluate and endorse strategies and policies at both continental and regional levels to promote social development, labour, and employment. The STC will review specific roadmaps aimed at implementing policies and strategies in areas such as social protection, social and solidarity economy, labour migration, youth employment, child marriage, Female Genital Mutilation, and ending exploitation and abuse of children. Additionally, the STC will receive knowledge products that offer insights into wage issues in Africa and the operationalization of dialogue mechanisms related to labour migration.

Background

The Ouagadougou 2004 Declaration reaffirmed commitment of Member States to prioritize employment creation in economic and social policies, focusing on political leadership, youth and women empowerment, social protection, productivity, labour migration, and regional integration. The African Union Agenda 2063 emphasizes a human rights approach to eradicating poverty and inequality, promoting solidarity, self-reliance, and social cohesion. It advocates addressing broader socio-economic factors, including good governance, human rights, peace, security, and stability, highlighting social cohesion as crucial for reducing poverty and inequality.

The Social Solidarity Economy (SSE) balances economic, social, and environmental goals, fostering solidarity, democracy, and mutualism. It prioritizes collective gains over individual benefits, involving diverse small and medium economic organizations linked by family, community, and cooperation. SSE entities operate based on voluntary cooperation, mutual aid, democratic governance, and social purpose over capital, aspiring to long-term sustainability and formal economy transition. They embody values of care for people and the planet, equality, fairness, interdependence, self-governance, transparency, accountability, and decent work.

The SSE has expanded significantly, contributing to social services, poverty reduction, job creation, community development, environmental protection, affordable finance, health and education access, food security, gender equality, and empowerment of marginalized groups. SSEs complement government interventions, promote innovative approaches, social cohesion, and societal resilience, and drive inclusive and sustainable development. They provide scalable assets, localized production, and opportunities for policy coherence, affecting social, environmental, and economic change.

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