Policy Leadership Council
The engagement platform for policymakers on the social economy and social innovation.
Raise awareness
The Council promotes the potential of the social economy through high-profile engagements at World Economic Forum events and by publishing insightful reports, such as Unlocking the Social Economy.
Facilitate peer exchange
The Council fosters peer learning and cross-border exchange of best practices by organising regular meetings and sharing effective policy practices.
Initiate high-impact initiatives
The Council identifies key themes and policy challenges for advancing the social economy and launches high-impact initiatives, such as building a stronger evidence base for social enterprise.
A global platform for social economy in the public sector
The social economy is gaining recognition for its vital role in promoting sustainable development. The Council actively works to raise public sector awareness about the transformative potential of the social economy.
It builds on global policy momentum driven by:
- The EU Action Plan on the Social Economy (2021)
- The ILO resolution on Decent Work and the Social and Solidarity Economy (2022)
- The OECD recommendation on the Social and Solidarity Economy and Social Innovation (2022)
- The first-ever UN Resolution on the Social and Solidarity Economy (2023)
- The AU 10-Year Strategy on the Social and Solidarity Economy (2024).
How the Council works
The council is an invitation-only group of policy leaders that convenes at least four times a year to exchange insights on social economy policy, drive new partnerships and support key emerging themes. It's hosted at the Schwab Foundation’s Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship and collaborates with leading social economy organisations.
Co-hosts of the Policy Leadership Council
The Council is peer-led and co-hosted by Jeroo Billimoria, award winning social innovator and founder of One Family Foundation, and Jonathan Wong, Chief of Innovation, Enterprise and Investment at United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).