The 2025 UN International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) has officially been launched at the ICA Global Cooperative Conference and General Assembly, in New Delhi, India.
The launch ceremony featured delegates from over 100 countries, including UN representatives, Indian government officials and cooperators.
India’s Prime Minister, H.E. Narendra Modi, delivered a keynote address during the ceremony in which he highlighted the important role cooperatives play in the country. India is home to 800,000 cooperatives, including the Indian Farmers Fertilisers Cooperative (IFFCO), the world's largest cooperative by turnover on GDP per capita.
“For India, cooperatives are a way of life,” he said. “For the whole world, cooperatives are a business model, but at the same time, cooperation is the basis of our culture. It is a lifestyle.”
The Prime Minister described how the partnership between the Government of India and cooperatives was key to sustainable growth, and how this growth “should be seen in a human-centric way”.
"The importance of cooperatives is not confined to laws, and regulations, we have to move beyond that," he said, arguing that the "cooperative spirit will be the life of the country”.
PM Modi thanked the UN for declaring 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives.
"In this IYC we will empower this cooperative spirit. We will move forward with this cooperative spirit and we will be empowered, we will be prosperous," he concluded.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also addressed the conference via a video message.
“Cooperatives like the ones you represent demonstrate the importance of standing together to forge solutions to global challenges,” he said. “Hailing from more than 100 countries, you are driving development across communities, large and small, fighting poverty and social exclusion, strengthening food security, helping local entrepreneurs access national and international markets and so much more. Your united efforts are essential as our world confronts complex challenges and strives to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.” He also spoke about the crucial role of cooperatives in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in light of the upcoming Second World Summit on Social Development.
Watch the full video here.
Themed, Cooperatives build a better world, the IYC is an opportunity for the global cooperative movement to engage in a year-long celebration of their impact and achievements, and plan for a future that builds prosperity for all.
ICA president Dr Ariel Guarco thanked IFFCO along with the other ICA members in India for hosting the conference.
“We definitely have to go beyond our own borders,” he said. “Convinced of our doctrine, based on permanent principles and values, which allowed us to be the most important social innovation of the modern era, for two centuries and surely, for a long time to come.
“Proud of that Identity, let us go out to embrace the new generations, those who do not know the practice of organised cooperation, to integrate this great family of a billion to a billion more, who surely cooperate today to live - and some to survive - and let us continue to demonstrate that this is the best way for all of us to have a dignified life, leaving no one out and leaving no one behind.”
Dr Guarco also presented the prestigious Rochdale Pioneers, which is the highest accolade the ICA bestows, to Udai Shanker Awasthi, the managing director of IFFCO.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to receive this prestigious award,” said Dr Udai Shanker Awasthi. “This recognition belongs not just to me but to the entire IFFCO family, whose dedication and hard work have driven the cooperative’s success. This award motivates us to continue pushing boundaries and exploring opportunities that benefit the farming community and cooperative sector. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the International Cooperative Alliance for this recognition, that inspires us to uphold and advance the cooperative spirit globally.”
Also speaking at the open ceremony were H.E. Dasho Tshering Tobgay, prime minister of Bhutan, and Hon. Manoa Kamikamica, deputy prime minister of Fiji. Mr Kamikamica.
"Fiji is here to listen, learn and execute," said Mr Kamikamica.
Mr Tobgay said: “'We want to build a hub in the south of the country which is based on mindfulness and innovative thinking - this is very much in line with the human-centric cooperative values.”
Over the next 12 months, the ICA will work to increase the visibility of cooperatives and raise public awareness about their contributions to sustainable development; advocate for enabling environment and supportive legal and policy frameworks for strengthening their entrepreneurial ecosystem; and promote the growth and development of cooperatives through capacity-building initiatives, knowledge-sharing, and collaborative partnerships. The ICA is also planning a range of activities to inspire young people to join the movement in 2025.
The UN’s first International Year of Cooperatives was celebrated in 2012, when cooperatives worldwide highlighted their contributions to socio-economic development, particularly their impact on poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration.
Get involved:
The United Nations General Assembly resolution proclaiming the International Year of Cooperatives 2025, invites all Member States to consider taking action towards establishing national mechanisms, where appropriate, such as national committees, to prepare for, observe and follow up on the International Year of Cooperatives, in particular for the purpose of planning, stimulating and harmonising the activities of the governmental and non-governmental agencies and organisations concerned with the preparations for and observance of the International Year;
Find the guidelines for creating National Committees here.
Organisations interested in using the IYC2025 logo must adhere to specific guidelines provided by the UN here. The logo is available in six official languages—English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian.
IYC website
A new website has been created to celebrate the International Year of Cooperatives. Check out the new website here.
For further information contact Leire Luengo, Director of Communications at luengo@ica.coop.
Photos from the launch are available here.
Photos from the Awards ceremony are available here.
