ILO’s International Training Centre (ITC-ILO)

In cooperation with ITC-ILO, the Organization facilitated the first ever SSTC Academy, which trained 300 staff and ILO constituents, in 2016. Moreover, the ILO has integrated SSTC into the Social and Solidarity Economy Academy sessions held in Turin over the past five years, the Green Economy Academies, city-to-city cooperation seminars, and global, regional and local economic development forums (2017-2020). As a result, over 1,500 experts were provided with training on tools and policy guidance over four biennia. Currently, ILO’s Partnership and Field Support Department and ITC-ILO are collaborating to provide new virtual courses adapted to the COVID-19 situation in the

fields of sustainable tourism in rural areas, disaster risk reduction and skills development in Central America. Fine-tuning peer-learning methodologies and virtual technology has been the priority for these South-South initiatives. In the last quarter of 2020, this partnership will also support activities with BRICS countries focusing on statistics, labour migration and formalization of the informal economy.

As an example of its continued commitment to facilitating peer-learning and the exchange of good practices on SSTC, ILO supports the participation of constituents from the Global South in events like the Global South–South Development Expo (GSSD) as well as other forums organized by the ILO and the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC). In support of knowledge management, the ILO maintains an SSTC portal and helped launch a South–South virtual meeting point, which provides access to a wealth of knowledge and resources related to SSTC and decent work. It has reinforced communications through “regional learning journeys” on development cooperation for ILO staff. Finally, between 2012 and 2020, the Office published over 250 reports, books, e-learning tools, how-to guides, and manuals covering different aspects and thematic areas of SSTC.

Progressively supporting social partners to engage with SSTC, the Organization facilitates cooperation between trade unions and employers’ organizations from the Global South. In particular, the Global Labour University programme and the ILO Global Business and Disability Network have provided technical support, the Future of Work Initiative in the GSSD has promoted governance dialogue and collaboration with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) has helped promote SSTC among trade unions in Asia and the Pacific.

The ILO continues to enhance and expand its SSTC partnerships within the UN and the bilateral and multilateral systems, and to establish further new partnerships, including with social partners and civil society organizations as well as parliamentarians, faith-based organizations, non-governmental organizations and civil society at the national, regional and global levels. A particular focus on regional, subregional and interregional cooperation has resulted in operational partnerships with various intergovernmental and multilateral organizations engaged in SSTC such as BRICS, IBSA, g7+, the CPLP, MERCOSUR, the Pacific Community, ASEAN, ECOWAS and UN regional economic commissions. This emphasis on cooperation has helped develop the basis for a regional SSTC facility in Africa based on tripartite consultations and built a strong foundation for continued partnership and the promotion of SSTC.

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