Governments rally behind social innovation as crisis response

By AI, Created 2:30 PM UTC, May 22, 2026, /AGP/ – Ministers and government leaders from 18 countries met in London on 19 May to back social innovation as a practical tool for tackling inequality, climate risk and weak public services. GCSI also said social innovation accounts for an estimated 6.7% of the global economy and could reach $7.37 trillion in global GDP if every country matched OECD levels.

Why it matters: - Governments are looking for new ways to respond to overlapping crises that strain budgets, institutions and public trust. - GCSI’s new estimate puts social innovation at 6.7% of the global economy, signaling that the field already has major economic weight. - If all countries matched OECD levels of social innovation, the sector would represent an estimated $7.37 trillion in global GDP. - The event framed social innovation as a tool for delivering faster, more coordinated responses to inequality, climate resilience, financing gaps and public service failures.

What happened: - Ministers and government leaders gathered in London on 19 May for the event, Social Innovation: A Transformational Key in Times of Global Crisis. - The meeting was led by the Government Council for Social Innovation. - Representatives from 18 countries shared examples of how social innovation is being used in government. - The discussion focused on using social innovation to address complex social, economic and environmental challenges. - Some participants called for a joint UN resolution on social innovation.

The details: - Kosovo’s Mimoza Kusari-Lila said no government can solve complex social challenges alone, and that universities, municipalities, businesses, civil society and citizens all hold part of the solution. - Spain’s Amparo Merino said the social economy is one of the country’s main avenues for social innovation, built around people first, democratic participation, local roots and reinvestment of profits in social goals. - Dominica’s Daren Pinard said young people can help build new models of care if governments give them the right support. - Sudan’s Sulaima Ishaq said social innovation emerged during war and displacement, with women emergency response groups and grassroots volunteers supporting survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and other vulnerable women and girls. - Palestine’s Samah Hamad said the country has rebuilt its social digital infrastructure, including a National Social Registry and social digital wallets to help deliver support in Gaza. - Azerbaijan’s DOST model has brought labour, employment and social protection services closer to people through one-stop-shop and online delivery, serving nearly 900,000 citizens in 2025 with satisfaction above 98%. - Timor-Leste’s Unified Social Registry System helps power the Conditional Health and Nutrition Subsidy Programme for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and children up to age 3 in social vulnerability. - Costa Rica has centralized housing, education and scholarship support into a single database to target aid more effectively and improve public spending efficiency. - The 2025 Luxembourg Declaration already committed 55 governments to advancing social innovation as a driver of inclusive and sustainable development. - Cameroon’s Mounouna Foutsou said a UN resolution would help foster cooperation, share best practices, mobilize funding and advance public policies, especially on youth employment. - The event also marked the launch of the Social Innovation Engine, a platform led by One Family Foundation and GCSI. - The Social Innovation Engine is designed as an open-access repository of thousands of proven and emerging social innovation examples from around the world.

Between the lines: - The message from ministers was that fragmented policy fixes are not enough for interconnected crises. - The examples shared suggest governments are using social innovation to redesign delivery systems, not just add new programs. - The push for a UN resolution shows an effort to move social innovation from a useful practice to an internationally recognized policy priority. - The emphasis on digital registries, one-stop services and targeted support points to a broader shift toward data-driven public administration.

What’s next: - Supporters of the UN resolution are likely to press for broader international backing. - Governments may use the Social Innovation Engine to compare models and adapt existing approaches. - More countries could incorporate social innovation into public service reform, crisis response and financing strategies. - The GCSI data release may strengthen calls for policymakers to treat social innovation as a measurable economic driver, not just a social policy idea.

The bottom line: - Governments are increasingly treating social innovation as essential infrastructure for crisis response, public service delivery and long-term development.