SESRIC co-organised a Solutions Session titled “Digital Pathways to Formalization in the Social and Solidarity Economy: Accelerating Social Inclusion and Accessibility”, with the League of Arab States, on the sidelines of the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2), on 4 November 2025 at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) in Doha.

The session provided a platform for discussing how technology utilization in social and solidarity economy (SSE) can enhance people’s lives. Panellists emphasised that sharing experience and success stories creates a broader impact in advancing SSE.

During her presentation, H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK highlighted how digital transformation can advance the formalisation and social inclusion of the SSE in OIC countries. She addressed socio-economic challenges such as informality, limited social protection, and unemployment, positioning SSE as a people-centred solution.

H.E. SELÇUK also emphasised that digitalisation serves as a key enabler, supported by data on e-government readiness and digital tools. The presentation showcased some good practices from OIC member countries demonstrating how digital innovations enhance transparency, strengthen social protection, and empower communities through solidarity and inclusion.

In his turn, H.E. Amb. Hameed Ajibaiye OPELOYERU, Permanent Observer of the OIC to the UN, indicated that the OIC has built around its STI Agenda 2026, some commitments aimed at promoting inclusive access to digital education and appropriate technology. He added that OIC and other regional organisations can collaborate to upscale their digital awareness campaigns and capacity building programmes as a potent strategy for poverty alleviation.

H.E. Faiez ALMUTAIRI, Director General of Arab Labor Organization (ALO), outlined in his remarks a three-path strategic vision to align the social and solidarity economy with digital transformation. He discussed that empowering policies, unified digital services, and strengthened tripartite cooperation among governments, employers, and workers can accelerate formalization, broaden social protection, and boost productivity while advancing inclusion.

In her remarks, H.E. Dr. Mehrinaz EL AWADY, Deputy Executive Secretary for Programmes in ESCWA, framed socioeconomic inequality as the Arab region’s defining challenge and argued that the SSE offers a practical, scalable path to inclusive growth. She highlighted persistent gaps in women’s labor-force participation, the invisibility of people with disabilities, and high youth unemployment, noting that informality undermines protections and productivity. The SSE, supported by data-driven policy, enabling laws, social protection, and digital tools, can strengthen cooperatives and social enterprises to expand decent work and local solutions, she added.

H.E. Mohamed bin Hassan ALOBAIDLY, Director General of the Executive Office of the Council of Ministers of Labor & Social Affairs (GCC) mentioned in his statement that digital transformation is not only a target, but a means to highlight informal employment, expand its access to markets, facilitate digital financial services, and enable inclusion through user-friendly solutions and applications. “The digital social economy is not a replacement for government systems, but rather an active partner in achieving justice and development for all”, he stated.

The discussions and the interventions during the session generally explored how digital transformation, when paired with supportive policy environments, can accelerate the transition from informal to formal employment through the SSE. It also highlighted real-world examples of how digital tools and inclusive economic models can empower vulnerable groups, improve livelihoods, and promote digital accessibility for persons with disabilities.