INGOs and social economy: international and national legal regulation

Abstract

The article analyzes the status and activities of international non-governmental organizations, as well as phenomenon of social economy, social entrepreneurship and models of interaction and its promotion by international intergovernmental organizations. The ideology of social entrepreneurship is widespread – entrepreneurial activity that is focused on solving social problems, using innovative methods and technologies worldwide. Despite the sufficient popularity of the idea of social economy in the world, there are no clear boundaries for the term «social entrepreneurship», which is an obstacle to the institutionalization of this phenomenon in many countries. The terms «social entrepreneurship» and «social economy» were introduced by the international intergovernmental organizations as well as by the national legal regulation. An analysis of various international and regional approaches has shown that social entrepreneurship in scientific papers is considered in a narrow and broad sense. The article analyzes different international and regional models of regulating the social entrepreneurship projects activities, providing examples from America, European and post-Soviet countries. The final conclusion is that the INGOs and IIGOs are interacting. Social enterprises can play a key role in addressing pressing social and environmental challenges and supporting inclusive growth. Moreover, they can create new employment opportunities, especially for vulnerable groups of population especially in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.