Raising the Visibility of Social and Solidarity Economy in the United Nations System

Following the recent upsurge in interest in Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) as a distinctive approach to development within international knowledge and policy circles, this article examines the conditions that facilitated the uptake of SSE within the United Nations system. It begins by explaining the broader development and ideational context that was conducive to raising the visibility of SSE. The discussion then turns to the process leading up to the establishment of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force that was established in September 2013. It concludes by briefly reflecting on the implications of mainstreaming SSE for the post-2015 development agenda and the challenges of further institutionalizing SSE.