Important Facts of the News
- The workshop took place in Bordeaux, France, on October 29–30 2025.
- It brought together 35 experts from five different global regions.
- The meeting was jointly organized by COPAC TWG-MECC and UNTFSSE TWG-SSES.
- Participants included representatives from international organizations, national statistical offices, government authorities, workers’ organizations, and research networks.
- The discussions focused on developing international statistical standards for cooperatives and the wider social and solidarity economy (SSE).
- Key themes included definitions, indicators, identification of cooperatives in statistical systems, and ensuring global comparability with national flexibility.
- Case studies from Portugal and Poland were reviewed regarding SSE satellite accounts.
- The outcomes will contribute to a new manual on cooperative statistics and SSE guidelines for the 22nd International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) in 2028.
Focused Keyword: Cooperative and Social and Solidarity Economy Statistics
Global Experts Meet in Bordeaux
An international workshop in Bordeaux gathered 35 specialists from multiple regions to work jointly on advancing the measurement of cooperatives and entities across the wider social and solidarity economy. The meeting functioned as a combined session of the COPAC Technical Working Group on Measuring the Economic Contribution of Cooperatives and the UNTFSSE Technical Working Group on Social and Solidarity Economy Statistics. Representatives came from a broad range of institutions including global organizations, research networks and national statistical systems.
Strengthening Shared Understanding
Participants focused on improving collective clarity on how to define and categorize cooperatives and SSE entities in a way that is both globally comparable and locally adaptable. Discussions highlighted the importance of reflecting real-world practices and institutional variations across regions. The aim was to outline the next steps toward establishing harmonized international guidelines.
Developing Indicators and Typologies
One part of the discussions centered on refining measurable criteria for entities within the SSE based on its foundational values and principles. The group addressed how different legal forms and cultural contexts can be included without losing coherence in the methodology. Another part of the discussions reviewed potential indicators for cooperatives, including how economic participation, surplus distribution and unpaid labour contributions may be better captured in statistical systems.
Learning from Country Examples
Case studies from Portugal and Poland illustrated how integrating social and solidarity economy components into national statistical frameworks through satellite accounts can increase visibility of their contributions. The experiences demonstrated the significance of structured data collection in strengthening policy recognition and resource planning.
Next Steps Ahead
The insights gathered at Bordeaux will inform the preparation of a new manual on cooperative statistics alongside statistical guidance for SSE. These are being readied for submission to the 22nd International Conference of Labour Statisticians in 2028. The workshop also helped clarify immediate priorities for the relevant technical working groups, ensuring continuity in efforts to strengthen recognition of cooperatives and the SSE in global data systems.