On December 18 and 19 2006, 30 people came from 5 West and Northern African countries to meet in Conakry in order to implement an adapted device for the capacity building of SSE operators and support the promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy with the help of Oxfam America and OSIWA. Attending the event were representatives of national SSE networks from Burkina, Mali, Niger, Benin, Senegal and Guinea, 3 RIPESS delegates, 2 delegates of the pan-African higher institute of cooperative economy (Cotonou, Benin).

The opening ceremony was chaired by the State land and decentralization minister, in the presence of various union officials, and the Chairperson of the Guinean Economic and Social Council

Representatives of various countries exchanged and presented the needs of their networks and members. Following the country presentations, it appeared that the overall needs identified by the feasibility study were the real needs of national networks and their members.

The activities achieved a great success: the formulation of the needs for capacity building per country, the identification of ways for the implementation of the CAP ECO SOL program, national declarations of commitment and the declaration of Conakry were so many eventful moments of the launching and common thinking workshop for the concrete expression of the CAP ECO SOL program dynamics.

The second workshop day was devoted to group works on the following themes: Building and empowering social solidarity economy networks; entrepreneurship development devices; and program governance. Following the presentation of group works, participants agreed on the formation of a steering committee. They also strongly committed themselves to the success of the CAP ECO SOL program by drafting and signing the Conakry Declaration, to be soon available for downloading on the website.

2007 will be the year for the field operationalization of Cap Eco Sol, a real challenge for African networks. This will require a strong networking activity, reactivity, listening and proposals at the RIPESS level. The steering committee, formed during the Conakry workshop has met for the first time during the World Social Forum of Nairobi in January 2007.