Picture credit: https://twitter.com/simcim

The national advisory committee met in a hybrid format in Hanoi, Vietnam on 30 August 2023 to create a shared vision, objectives, and plan for undertaking the study of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) in Vietnam.

ILO’s Strengthening the Social and Solidarity Economy in Asia – Phase 2 Project is funded by the Ministry of Employment and Labour, Republic of Korea. It aims to contribute to increased awareness on the SSE’s contribution to decent work and sustainable development and create policy dialogue in five countries in Asia and the Pacific - Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Ms. Ingrid Christensen, Director of ILO Vietnam noted that this project is relevant and timely in Vietnam, given the recent adoption of the revised Law on Cooperatives, and the government’s policy on promoting the collective economy.

The two consultant teams, the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA, an ICA member), and the Centre for Social Initiatives Promotion (CSIP) presented the national work plan for Vietnam. VCA shared the concern of not having an umbrella legislation or policy on the SSE while some forms of SSE entities such as cooperatives, mutuals, and social enterprises have legal and policy provisions. There is a lack of understanding and recognition of the SSE in Vietnam, including reliable, harmonized statistics on the SSE, as noted by VCA. The CSIP team plans to conduct surveys and interviews to assess social enterprises, women-led SMEs, household businesses and household businesses, both operating in formal and informal sectors against the seven principles of the SSE.

Read the full news article here.