The International Co-operative Alliance welcomes the UN Secretary-General’s Synthesis Report: The Road to Dignity by 2030: Ending Poverty, Transforming All Lives and Protecting the Planet. The goal of sustainable development for all will require an inspirational vision, an ambitious and practical plan with global engagement, and the means to implement and monitor that plan. The International Co-operative Alliance and the co-operative movement welcome the UN Secretary-General’s synthesis report on the post-2015 agenda and are fully committed to supporting the Secretary-General and the United Nations in this work.
Democratically governed, values-based, people-focused and locally rooted, co-operative enterprises have demonstrated leadership in sustainable development, and will be particularly adept at tackling the challenges laid out by the post-2015 agenda. Their contributions can best be framed by the six essential elements presented in the synthesis report.
Dignity
Co-operatives are entrenched in the work of ending poverty – they identify economic opportunities for vulnerable groups and empower them to defend their interests using the leverage of a collective voice and decision-making process. All co-operatives are based on self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity, values crucial to the pursuit of dignity. For example, agricultural co-operatives help small farmers get fairer prices for crop inputs and access to markets through group purchasing and marketing.
People
The post-2015 agenda must be people-focused, and co-operatives are created by people for people. The inclusive nature of co-operatives is reflected in high rates of membership among women and young people, and by their willingness to put people over profits. For example, many savings and credit co-operatives improve access to education by offering low-interest loans to families to pay school fees.
Shared prosperity
Planet
Justice
As democratically run organizations with a “one member, one vote” system, co-operatives serve as an example for participatory and accountable governance. In crisis-stricken regions, co-operatives are instrumental to supporting survivors, rebuilding communities through peacebuilding and promoting citizen engagement in new government processes.
