The first issue is governance. The social economy cannot be considered simply as
enterprise development; it is also the manifestation of new relationships between the
market, the public sector and civil society and requires innovation in governance and a
commitment to social dialogue. In countries such as Brazil, Spain, or Canada, where the
social or solidarity economy has gained the most recognition, new civil society
institutions have emerged as recognised intermediaries between government and
enterprises, as new spaces for dialogue between social economy actors and other social
movements, including the labour movement. Several governments are offering active
support to these networks, recognising their contribution to social innovation and to the
development of more efficient public policy