12th Mont Blanc Meeting explores pathways to a sustainable and sovereign future through the social and solidarity economy

12th Mont Blanc Meeting explores pathways to a sustainable and sovereign future through the social and solidarity economy

The 12th edition of the Mont Blanc Meetings brought together representatives from the ILO and its constituents and from national and international enterprises and institutions to strengthen policy dialogue and develop shared priorities for a sustainable and sovereign future with the social and solidarity economy.

30 January 2026

GENEVA (ILO News) - From 29 to 30 January 2026, ESS Forum International (ESSFI) held its 12th edition of the Mont Blanc Meetings, "The Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) World Diplomacy Forum 2026," at the ILO's headquarters in Geneva.

The Forum brought together global SSE leaders, policymakers, enterprises, and national and international institutions to exchange on key topics including the SSE and energy and food sovereignty, democracy and financing, and the implications of artificial intelligence and digitalization, under the theme "Building a sustainable and sovereign future with the social and solidarity economy."

Built on the 11th edition of the Mont Blanc Meetings, it carried forward the momentum on advancing the SSE, generated including through the outcomes of Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development and the Second World Summit for Social Development, both of which included key references to the SSE, and the Fifth Technical Symposium of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE), of which ESSFI serves as an Observer.

Participants at the 12th Mont Blanc Meeting.

High-level speakers from ILO constituents underlined the growing role of the SSE in national development strategies.

Alioune Badara Dione, Minister of Microfinance and the Social and Solidarity Economy of Senegal, reaffirmed the country's commitment to the SSE as a driver of decent job creation, social cohesion and territorial development. He recalled that 2026 has been declared the Year of the Social and Solidarity Economy in Senegal by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, reflecting the Government's ambition to place the SSE at the centre of economic and social transformation.

Alioune Badara Dione, Minister of Microfinance and the Social and Solidarity Economy of Senegal, speaks at the 12th Mont Blanc Meeting.

In a video message, Serge Papin, Minister of SMEs, Trade, Crafts, Tourism and Purchasing Power of France, highlighted that the SSE offers concrete solutions to these challenges, outlined France's national and international engagement in support of the sector, and stressed the need to strengthen cooperation through a genuine international "SSE diplomacy". He also emphasized the importance of the SSE not only for the economy but also for sovereignty.

Serge Papin, Minister of SMEs, Trade, Crafts, Tourism and Purchasing Power of France, shares a video message at the 12th Mont Blanc Meeting.

The Forum provided an important platform to connect enterprise-level experience with policy dialogue and to reinforce the ILO's mandate on the SSE, anchored in the ILO Resolution concerning decent work and the social and solidarity economy (2022) and the Organization's follow-up framework to advance decent work outcomes through enabling policies and partnerships. Several ILO representatives contributed to the high-level sessions.

Oliver Röpke, Director of the ILO Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV), underlined the close alignment between SSE values and trade unions' priorities, emphasizing human-centred development, social justice and fundamental rights at work. He highlighted the SSE's capacity to reach disadvantaged groups, innovate in response to social challenges and contribute to inclusive and sustainable development.

Oliver Röpke (right), Director of the ILO Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV), at the 12th Mont Blanc Meeting.

Sana de Courcelles, Director of the Secretariat of the Global Coalition for Social Justice, presented the work of the Coalition and highlighted the SSE's strong commitment to social justice and called on partners to translate shared values into concrete action through collaboration and collective mobilization.

Simel Esim, Head of the ILO's Cooperative, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit and Chair of the UN Inter Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE), reflected on the main messages emerging from the two days of discussions. She highlighted the existence of a "global development emergency," marked by rapid economic change, growing insecurity and weakening multilateral cooperation. She stressed that democracy at work, grounded in social dialogue and fundamental rights, remains central to building economic security and social trust.

Simel Esim, Head of the ILO's Cooperative, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit and Chair of UNTFSSE, speaks at the 12th Mont Blanc Meeting.

Across the sessions, participants highlighted the need to strengthen enabling environments for the SSE, including supportive institutional frameworks, responsible public procurement, access to technology and finance, and stronger participation in policy processes.

A key expected outcome of the Forum will be the development of a Manifesto for a sustainable and sovereign future with the SSE, aimed at translating shared priorities into concrete partnerships and actions at national, regional and global levels.