Cooperatives Build a Better World

The 2025 United Nations International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025) theme will be Cooperatives Build a Better World, showcasing the enduring global impact cooperatives have everywhere. This theme puts a spotlight on how the cooperative model is an essential solution to overcome many global challenges and continues to play an important role in accelerating efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The UN teams are working to develop the logo, website and related materials to promote the year. 

Join the official launch!

The official launch of the IYC2025 will take place in New Delhi, India, during the ICA Global Cooperative Conference and General Assembly, scheduled for 25-30 November 2024 in the presence of global leaders and UN representatives seeking to inspire cooperators worldwide. This will be followed by a year-long celebration of cooperatives' impact on society, reflecting on achievements, and what actions come next to strengthen the cooperative movement and improve lives for everyone. 

The International Cooperative Alliance plans to:

1. increase the visibility of cooperatives and raise public awareness about their contributions to sustainable development, 
2. promote the growth and development of cooperatives through capacity-building initiatives, knowledge-sharing, and collaborative partnerships.
3. advocate for enabling environment and supportive legal and policy frameworks for strengthening their entrepreneurial ecosystem
4. inspire young people to join the movement and promote the impact cooperatives have on building a better world.

A UN Resolution recognising the role of cooperatives to accelerate the 2030 Agenda

On 19 June 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives. The text recommends ways to celebrate and encourages all Member States, the United Nations, and relevant stakeholders to leverage this event to promote cooperatives’ contribution to social and economic development. Among others, Member States are also invited to consider establishing national committees to coordinate and prepare for all IYC2025 activities.

To kick off the celebrations, the UN Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations, hosted a soft-launch event. This event took place during the UN High-Level Political Forum at the UN Headquarters in New York on July 9, 2024. It coincided with the 2024 UN International Day of Cooperatives, celebrated under the theme Cooperatives Build a Better Future for All.