World Day of Social Justice event spotlights business with social purpose and a viable social and solidarity economy

World Day of Social Justice event spotlights business with social purpose and a viable social and solidarity economy

On the occasion of the World Day of Social Justice, the event in Turin focused on the role of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) in organizing production and services to deliver livelihoods, equality and rights, especially in times of crises.

20 February 2026

Turin, Italy (ILO News) - In a context of deepening geopolitical uncertainty, polarization, digitalization, financialization and climate pressures, economic security is becoming both more complex and more urgent. These transformations are not neutral: they shape who works, who decides, who benefits and who bears risks. Against this backdrop, World Day of Social Justice in Turin focused on how economies can better organize production and services so that they deliver livelihoods, equality and rights, especially at times of crises.

At the Forum, "Business, Social, One Vision: Social Economy for Competitiveness and Social Justice", organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Turin, Torino Social Impact, the Global Coalition for Social Justice and the International Training Centre of the ILO on 20 February, participants emphasized that business strategies and social objectives need not be pursued in isolation from one another. The message that cut across the discussions was "one vision": building economies where business contributes to social goals, and the social realm strengthens economic viability-through jobs that last, essential services that endure, and local systems that reduce insecurity and inequality.

The Forum marked the launch of a joint policy brief, "Advancing a human rights economy through the social and solidarity economy: Pathways to the eradication of poverty beyond growth" (also available in Italian), which positions the social and solidarity economy (SSE) as a practical delivery partner and mechanism for a human rights economy. The brief links the SSE to wider UN and multi-stakeholder efforts, including the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on SSE (UNTFSSE), the Global Coalition for Social Justice, and the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty and Human Rights with a focus on translating rights-based commitments into concrete improvements in people's lives.

Discussions highlighted that SSE entities operate in markets, create value, employ people and deliver services, while embedding social purpose, participation and fairness in how decisions are made and benefits are shared. Speakers emphasized that locally anchored, democratically governed enterprises can keep services running, stabilize incomes and expand access, especially in communities that are often left behind.

Participants underlined that supply chains and labour markets are embedded in territories. When supported by coherent policy frameworks, SSE actors can strengthen economic security in three practical ways. SSE actors can strengthen economic security in three practical ways. They can act as:

• purpose-driven employers and suppliers that embed decent work and stability;
• collective intermediaries that help small producers and workers aggregate, meet standards, upgrade and negotiate fairer terms through shared services such as training, quality control and certification; and
• worker-led and community enterprises that keep essential services and production running when volatility rises.

A recurring point was that viability and scale depend on a conducive environment: clear recognition in law and policy, integration into labour and social protection systems, access to patient finance, socially responsible public procurement, and policy coherence across sectors.

Turin was presented as a living ecosystem showing how territories can translate social economy principles into delivery through collaboration between institutions, enterprises, finance, research and civil society. Torino Social Impact was cited as a multi-stakeholder platform that has expanded over time, supporting initiatives such as a Social Impact Stock Exchange and the Metropolitan Plan for the Social Economy Torino 2030, examples of how local actors can move from pilots to pipelines and create conditions for sustained impact.

Across business, policy and research perspectives, discussions returned to implementation. The 2022 International Labour Conference Resolution concerning decent work and the social and solidarity economy was highlighted as a common framework-providing the first universal definition of SSE and supporting coherent policymaking linked to the decent work agenda.

Priority actions highlighted at the forum included:

• Mainstreaming the SSE into economic, labour, social protection, development and education systems, so that business with social purpose is supported, not treated as peripheral.
• Capacity development to move from policy formulation to delivery, including learning offers and peer exchange through the International Training Centre of the ILO.
• Better evidence, data and statistics so SSE contributions are visible in economic planning and investment decisions, including work on cooperative statistics and methodologies to measure the SSE's economic contribution.
• Financing and procurement approaches, beyond isolated pilots, including patient finance and socially responsible public procurement that rewards social value and decent work.
• Stronger measurement that captures both economic viability and social outcomes-so scaling is driven by results for people and communities.

The shared conclusion was that "one vision" requires shared implementation: aligning business incentives with social outcomes, and equipping purpose-driven enterprises to grow-so that economic security and equality are built into how economies function, not added later.

Looking toward 2030 and beyond, participants noted that uptake of the SSE agenda remains uneven and vulnerable in times of fiscal pressure and political polarization. Sustained progress will depend on translating commitments into mandates, resources and accountability-and on stronger coherence across levels, from local delivery to national frameworks and international cooperation.