Bio
Since 2012, Simel Esim has served as the Manager of the Cooperatives Unit (COOP) at the International Labor Organization in Geneva. The unit has been in existence since 1920 serving cooperative constituents, namely governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations. The unit focuses on legislation and policy, financing, governance and education issues related to cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy enterprises. Simel’s work at the ILO advances decent work through cooperative practices by providing expert research, policy advice, capacity building and technical cooperation initiatives.
Before joining COOP, Simel was a Senior Technical Specialist in the ILO’s Regional Office for Arab States working on a range of issues including women’s economic empowerment, formalizing the informal economy, making the care economy count, and advancing migrant workers’ rights. In her work across the years, Simel has always been driven by a transformational intent, with an emphasis on concrete action informed by participation and collaboration.