The 2nd Mediterranean Social Economy Forum will provide the audience with an overview of social economy within the Mediterranean and will present the contribution of these enterprises and organisations in terms of entrepreneurship, job creation and maintenance of employment, social cohesion, inclusive economic growth and sustainable development for the Mediterranean region.

The Social Economy is a relevant part of the private sector in the Euromed region, with more than 3.2 million enterprises that represent 15 million jobs. Social Economy is a private stakeholder able to enliven the EU economy, where it represents 8% of the GDP and the economies of several European Member States where it represents 10% of the GDP, as in the case of Spain or France.

Social Economy is on the socio-economic agenda of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. The Ministers for Employment and Labour of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) have recognised the relevance of Social Economy at the Ministerial Conference held in Cascais (Portugal). This conference concluded that Social Economy “is not only an alternative way of delivering economic, social and environmental value, but also a smart way of unlocking resources creating sustainable employment, and generating inclusive economic growth in the region”.

The Euro-Mediterranean Social Economy Network (ESMED) is the institutional benchmark platform for social economy in the Mediterranean. It brings together the 14 main Social Economy organisations of Algeria, Egypt, France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey, representing more than 900,000 Social Economy enterprises and organisations, 8 million jobs and 100 million associated members. The ESMED Network co-organises this Forum with ASCAME.